Don't Vote No Just To Harm Marymount

If any of you believe I am out to see the end of Marymount College, you are sorely mistaken and I support The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

I believe Marymount's administration, supporters, current and former students now have the opportunity to begin an expansion project that I feel is needed and has already won approval by the representatives of all of the Rancho Palos Verdes residents.

Should Marymount's team goes forward with The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project, using the timeline approved by the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council, I feel a wonderful campus experience, in a location where learning can be accommodated and educational growth can soar, is something that can be completed within the eight year time frame, if only Marymount's team chooses to go forward.

Unfortunately, I am not optimistic that Marymount's team wants to go forward with The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project. They have offered an initiative that would forever change the scope and dynamics of land use, oversight, and restrictions of our residents' representatives to seek the best outcomes for our city.

I am certain that the vast majority of voters must cast a "NO" vote when voting on the initiative on November 2, 2010.

What I don't want to find out is that many of them vote "NO" just to punish Marymount and everyone involved with that College because of issues and other matters related to what has happened over the last ten years.

Please vote "NO" because there is already a 'voter approved' Project Marymount can build with.

"Voter approved" in my terms is the fact that Rancho Palos Verdes voters went to the polls during several elections and voted to place the five current City Council member in place to represent them in city matters, including land use and development issues.

The voters approved our City Council members to act in their behalf when they elected or reelected them.

I don't understand when 'some people' do not wish to follow the aspects that 'we the people of Rancho Palos Verdes' elected our representatives to represent us, even in matters objected to by those 'some people'.

I know Marymount's representatives have the right to create a ballot measure, but I do not believe they should be provided with The Marymount Plan which was not approved by our residents' representatives, the ones our residents voted into office in the first place.

I believe if Marymount wishes to come before a different set of City Council members, beginning in December, 2011 and try to have those Council Members approve The Marymount Plan's objectives, then Marymount must be provided that right.

But to circumvent the will of the residents of the city of Rancho Palos Verdes with their election of their representatives is not something I approve of and voters must strongly oppose, in my opinion.

Marymount's team has been given almost complete approval to follow through with The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project, from what that team initially requested about ten years ago, to what is now found as code, on the books, and available for Marymount's team to begin.

But I am not so sure they ever wanted to have their college's expansion without on-campus student residential and I think we have some evidence that this statement is true.

Has anyone heard Marymount's President, Dr. Michael Brophy make any statements sounding anything like 'Marymount College will go forward with The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project if the initiative fails to win approval by voters in November'?

I know I haven't heard him say anything remotely similar to that.

What I have heard Dr. Brophy claim is that voters WILL approve the initiative, almost as a statement of fact. This is a fact that is not true, at this point and really has not a very strong base for it being even a theory, by my thoughts.

Marymount wants a dramatic change in land use in Rancho Palos Verdes and that is probably the strongest topic that founded our city and has guided it thus far and it will be, long into the future.

We must allow our residents their right to elect representatives who are responsible to represent our residents in land use matters that affect the residents of Rancho Palos Verdes.

If our residents' rights to be represented by responsible, reasonable, realistic, and respectful City Council members is made moot by a developer's initiative to override the will of the City Council and the residents who elected them to office, where are the reasons remaining to even have a city, as far as land use issues go?

Let's support Marymount's development using the already approved Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

Those of us who do so are factually stating they do not wish to see Marymount College fail. We also demonstrate our approval of allowing those representatives we elected to represent us, use their best judgement and interests in our residents to decide land use issues and other very important issues.

I also support Marymount's expansion using The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project because it is much safer than many aspects of The Marymount Plan.

Safety of the students, faculty, staff, visitors, local residents, and all of our residents and visitors needs to be paramount with all voters and residents of Rancho Palos Verdes.

I can not support an initiative that places into the municipal code of the city of Rancho Palos Verdes items and guidelines I find to offer less safety to the folks already mentioned, above.

I also think it is unsafe and unwise to expect the majority of registered voters in Rancho Palos Verdes, having enough real knowledge about the issues and the concept that if Marymount can do it, why can't another entity attempt it.

The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project is safer and offers Marymount the chance to begin their expansion much sooner than trying to have an initiative supersede it.

Land use. Safety. An already approved expansion project. The potential for a bell to be rung but never un-rung in our city. These are just four reasons I hope all voters in Rancho Palos Verdes will go to the voting booth on November 2 and vote "No" on The Marymount Plan's initiative measure.