"The News weighs in on Measure P
The News staff has long been a supporter of education. Schools should offer programs that will prepare our younger generations to lead in the 21st century. The already approved State-of-the-art library, student union, auditorium, and athletic field and facilities will greatly enhance Marymount College's fine educational program.
But after reading through the college's 51-page initiative, Measure P, and thinking long and hard about how it would affect the citizens of Rancho Palos Verdes, we at the News take issue with placing residential halls for 250 students on campus and amending the Rancho Palos Verdes general plan, creating a special zoning district for the college.
For these reasons, the News opposes Measure P.
If passed, Measure P's Specific Plan would supersede the city's general plan, in essence, putting a special interest ahead of the general interest.
According to Section 4.D.E. of the initiative, "Whenever provisions of the Specific Plan differ either in being more restrictive or less restrictive from provisions contained in the RPV (municipal code), or any other land development ordinance, statute, regulation or policy, this Specific Plan shall supersede those other provisions. ... Any ambiguity shall be resolved in favor of the goals and purposed of the Specific Plan."
In September 2008, the News opposed constructing dormitories on the campus.
Palos Verdes Drive East is a dangerous stretch of road, and fatal crashes have occurred along its switchbacks over the years. Our concern is not so much weekday traffic, but nighttime and weekend trips taken by so many young, inexperienced drivers.
Students will not stay on campus 24/7. Despite the college's mandate for students to check in and out from the campus, they will want to feed their social needs after class is out, putting them on a dangerous read with other drivers, motorcyclists and bicyclists.
Marymount College was given everything it asked the RPV City Council for, and that is the project that the News can support."
Thurdsay October 21, 2010. The Palos Verdes Peninsula News.
On pages A21 and A24 of today's South Bay Daily Breeze, Marymount paid for two full-page ads with their implied truth mailer as the first ad and their ad by a Long Beach resident and Marymount-paid consultant taking up Page A24.
ReplyDeleteThe Daily Breeze does not contain any editorial endorsement for or against Measure P in today's issue but it does contain Mr. Pat Carroll's letter to the editor with the editor's confirmation of Mr. Carroll's facts.