A Key Learning Illustrated

By Council action last night, please forget everything you think you know about The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project, approved in 2010.

Below is legally and technically two illustrations that reflect what was approved for Phase One of the Expansion Project.

The top illustration reflects what was studied, argued about, debated, requested for by Marymount and otherwise dealt with for over 10 years.

The bottom illustration was created a couple of months ago to address the demand for placing 463 parking spaces on the main campus of the college and to ward off, in my opinion, the continued calls for Marymount officials to create a Traffic and Parking Plan that they promised to do, yet never was adequately initiated, according to many.

Behold! Both illustrations depict a main campus having 463 parking spaces, according to the Conditional Use Permit, approved in 2010 and both conform to the requirements.

Please click over illustration to increase its size for viewing.

Assume that whatever Marymount College officials seek to accomplish with their expansion project is the last thing they will request.

If you live by the rule apparently established by City Staff members in our city, everything becomes much clearer and there will be less anxiety on your part and on the part of others.

By Council action, you can now basically take most of what you thought you knew about what Marymount College officials were approved to build and throw that all away.

According to Mr. Don Davis, an attorney representing Marymount's interests, there are no longer plans to demolish any buildings according to Phase One requirements, unless an extension of the 'drop dead' date to have that Phase completed, is extended. He said it. I heard it and even one councilmember questioned him about it.

One clearly stated goal though, is that Marymount officials PLAN to have the 463 parking spaces built by this September 30.

***NOTE*** Please don't actually plan on viewing those 463 parking spaces, because Mr. Davis also stated that the college would come before the council in the near future to request and extension of Phase One of The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project, even though the "minor modification" approved of at last night's meeting may actually have physical work begun on it, this year.

Now, I need to explain why I feel 463 does not really equal 463.

In all the previous discussions about placing up to 463 on campus parking spaces wherever they might be, it must be remembered that the number requires a variance to the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code for parking space requirements.

If the college was ever required to actually build parking spaces according to the code, there would have to be a goodly number of more parking spaces created on campus.

So I think and feel it is fair to state that our city has been at least more than fair in allowing Marymount a variance to the law of our city.

While 463 parking spaces is 463 parking spaces, please take a look at both illustrations again and if you can tell me what might happen to some of those parking spaces should the college actually go ahead with Phase Two and Phase Three that were approved in The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

My point here is to get everyone back onto the page that suggests that the parking configuration illustrated in what was approved is as permanent as Mr. Davis and others claim it is to be and therefore there will never be a new athletic building built on the campus and whatever you thought you 'knew' about the Expansion Project is trashable.

I did and continue to support The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project even though the council voted to basically do away with many of its approved requirements, if you get my drift.

I have always supported and like the idea of having 463 parking spaces on Marymount's campus even though that may never truly happen.

When I spoke about this matter at last night's meeting I tried to get across that whatever actions the council takes related to whatever Marymount officials throw out is that we all need to consider what possible results might be geologically to the areas on and near the campus.

If councilmembers are comfortable with making decisions that might eventually find our city liable for damages caused by large scale grading or drainage issues, then that will be their legacy.

I have been assured by a very reliable source that all the "T"s will be dotted and all the "I"s crossed with these new plans for the 463 parking spaces, before permits are granted.

There is some consideration that it appears that most, if not all of the members of our council now are willing to acknowledge by vote or public comment, OR LACK THEREOF, that they believe much of what was approved of in The Project will never be built on Marymount's main campus.

This acknowledgement, whether verbalized or not, seems to reflect a ever growing common belief that Marymount never intends to build according to the plans approved of in 2010 and their latest votes seems to be a physical confirmation of that. They may disagree with me and you publicly, but since they were willing to approve PERMANENT parking spaces in place of where the athletic building, pool and other facilities are approved to be placed, I think they all telegraphed their beliefs.

I can't condemn any of them on that because I have felt from the date the Project was approved that it was not what Marymount wanted or ever intends to build. They wanted dorms. But since they seem to have also acknowledged that they will never happen on the main campus, they will be going ahead with whatever they wish to try and do.

The William H. Hannon Library at Marymount College seems to have been provided funding not related to other facility issues.

The William H. Hannon Library at Loyola Marymount College is a beautiful building filled with all kinds of educational elements. It's been around for some years.

In closing, it should provide some comfort in learning that all you thought you knew about The Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project is wrong and illustrated above and that you should not worry or consider anything other than what Marymount officials request, from this day forward.

If you wish to remain concerned about Marymount's future in R.P.V. please remain concerned. But also please no longer fret when college officials offer plans for study you have never seen or considered before.

Let's all try to 'see' a ribbon cutting ceremony for 463 parking spaces at Marymount College.