Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Marymount/Ponte Vista Race Update

Marymount College has a facilities expansion project winding through the R.P.V. Planning Commission.

Ponte Vista is up for its meeting with the Los Angeles City Planning Commission on April 9.

It looks like a race to see which project wins approval first continues.

The Marymount College project is nearing the actual votes by the Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission on its project which could add 624.4 vehicle trips, per day, along Western Avenue from Trudie to Palos Verdes Drive North.

Staff members from the city of Rancho Palos Verdes are going to draft the necessary documents and resolutions necessary for the certification of the EIR for the Marymount project. Those documents may be voted on at either the April 14 or May 26 continuances of the public hearing on that project.

Ponte Vista proponents are hoping for anything other than complete repudiation of their applications and other documents at the April 9 meeting.

It is believed that Ponte Vista proponents will greet anything other than complete denial of the project as a victory.

The main opposition group to the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project is the Concerned Citizens Coalition/Marymount Expansion, (CCC/ME).

That group firmly supports the expansion and the housing of students at the college's Palos Verdes North facility along Palos Verdes Drive North.

The Living Campus/Academic Campus Alternative supported by CCC/ME would have all student housing AND the athletic facilities along Palos Verdes Drive North between Western Avenue and Five Points.

It is almost comical to listen to that group completely ignore the residents living near the Palos Verdes North facility and disregard anything that would happen along Western Avenue, should their Alternative be approved of.

As to which project is ahead in the race, I am giving Marymount a slight lead.

No matter what happens on April 9, there are still very large hurdles the Ponte Vista folks have to find ways to leap over.

If Marymount is approved for its expansion, Western Avenue will find dirt-haulers traveling through portions of San Pedro taking away large boulders and bringing back crushed materials.

Right now it appears that the leanings go toward Marymount receiving approval for some on-campus housing, but not as many units as they would like.

Both projects may make for a newsworthy summer.

1 comment:

km said...

I strongly suspect that if Marymount's expansion is approved, the disarray on Western will convince more RPV and NW San Pedro residents to oppose Ponte Vista. There's nothing like the reality of truck traffic to motivate.