Loyola Marymount University Master Plan Project

Final Environmental Impact Report

EIR Case File No. ENV-2008-1342-EIR
SCH No: 2008051103

Prepared for:

Los Angeles Department of City Planning
6262 Van Nuys Boulevard, Suite 351
Van Nuys, California 91401

and

200 N. Spring Street
Los Angeles, California 90012-2601

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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Loyola Marymount University (LMU), the project applicant, proposes to upgrade, renovate, and replace a substantial portion of the existing academic/administrative, residential and athletic facilities at its Westchester campus (the Project). LMU’s Westchester campus consists of the original Burns Campus, acquired in 1929, and the Leavey and Hughes Campuses, acquired in 1983 and 2000, respectively.  The LMU campus is located at 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, California, and is bordered on the north by the Westchester bluffs, on the east by McConnell Avenue, on the west by Lincoln Boulevard, and on the south by W. 78th Street, Fordham Road, and W. 80th Street.  LMU does not propose to expand the boundaries of campus or modify the campus’ existing City-approved enrollment cap of 7,800 full-time equivalent (FTE) students.

 As shown in Table 1 below, the Project would retain approximately 1,136,000 gross square feet (gsf) of the 1,651,000 gsf of existing academic and administrative facilities, demolish the remainder, and build approximately 1,023,000 gsf, for a total academic and administrative square footage on campus of approximately 2,159,000 gsf (a net increase of approximately 508,000 gsf over existing conditions). Buildings and facilities to be retained include University Hall, Xavier Hall, Sacred Heart Chapel, and St. Robert’s Hall. LMU proposes to relocate the campus’ recycling area and to construct several new buildings including an approximately 1,500-seat conference center on the south side of University Hall at LMU Drive, a columbarium with approximately 2,000 niches in landscaped areas adjacent to Sacred Heart Chapel, and a Life Sciences building. 

LMU proposes to provide new campus housing sufficient to increase the percentage of resident undergraduate FTE students from approximately 60 percent to 75 percent.  The total square footage of on-campus housing would increase from approximately 942,000 gsf to approximately 1,418,000 gsf, for a net increase of approximately 476,000 gsf.  This would be accomplished predominantly through replacement of existing residences on the Burns Campus with new units concentrated in the eastern Burns Campus. 

Table 1

Summary of Existing and Proposed LMU Campus Facilities

LMU also seeks to enhance the campus’ recreational facilities and open space. LMU proposes to construct approximately 28,000 gsf of net new indoor athletic facilities, which would include replacing Gersten Pavilion with a new sports pavilion, for a new total of approximately 213,000 gsf of indoor athletic facilities.  Through the reconfiguration of buildings on campus, LMU would also be able to add approximately 4.8 acres of net new outdoor athletic facilities, and 5 acres of net new landscaped open space, within the existing campus boundaries.

A Specific Plan for the LMU campus is also proposed as part of the Project, which would include height limits and setback restrictions.  In response to comments, the Final EIR includes a Specific Plan with lower maximum building heights than those proposed in the Draft EIR.  On the Hughes Campus, new buildings would continue to be limited to a height of 139 feet above mean sea level.  For the internal, core areas of the Leavey and Burns Campuses, new building heights would be limited to 75 feet above finished grade.  New buildings within the remaining portions of the Leavey and Burns Campuses would be limited to a maximum height limit of 55 feet above grade, a 20-foot reduction as compared to the maximum height previously proposed and analyzed in the Draft EIR.  The graduated height limits along the border of the Burns Campus have also been reduced compared to those previously proposed.  No new buildings would be permitted between 0 feet and 40 feet of the Burns Campus boundary, consistent with the proposal described in the Draft EIR.  However, the 25-foot maximum building height limit would be extended to between 40 feet and 99.9 feet of the Burns Campus property line, instead of between 40 feet and 74.9 feet of the property line; new buildings would be limited to 37.5 feet above grade between 100 feet and 149.9 feet of the Burns Campus property line; and between 150 feet and the core of the Burns Campus, new buildings would be capped at 55 feet above grade.  New buildings and structures would also be required to be set back a minimum of 40 feet from the entire southerly and easterly borders of the LMU campus.  The proposed Specific Plan would also establish Planning Areas defining the locations on campus of future academic/administrative, residential, and athletic facilities as well as parking facilities and open space.

LMU would increase parking on campus by approximately 609 spaces, from approximately 4,133 existing parking spaces to approximately 4,742 parking spaces by full Proposed Project buildout.  Parking would be added in phases with increases in campus population from increased student enrollment (from existing conditions to the approved cap of 7,800 FTE students) and additional faculty/staff.

 Construction of the Project is expected to occur incrementally over 20 years following approval by the City of Los Angeles, with final buildout expected around 2030.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS POTENTIALLY AFFECTED:

Significant and unavoidable impacts have been identified with regard to construction air quality, construction noise, and solid waste.  In addition, the Project would contribute to cumulative impacts related to archaeological resources and solid waste.  With implementation of proposed mitigation measures, no significant and unavoidable impacts in the other issue areas addressed in the EIR are expected with regard to construction or operation of the Project.  Other issues addressed in the EIR include aesthetics and visual resources, global climate change, biological resources, cultural resources (paleontological resources and historic resources), geology, hazards, surface water hydrology and water quality, land use, public services (police, fire, and recreation and parks), transportation, and public utilities (water supply, wastewater, and energy).

DOCUMENT REVIEW AND COMMENT:

If you wish to review a copy of the Final EIR or the documents referenced in the Final EIR, you may do so at the City of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning at 200 North Spring Street, Room 750, Los Angeles.  Copies of the Final EIR are also at the following Library Branches:

(1) William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive;

(2) Westchester/Loyola Village Library:  7114 W. Manchester Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90045;

(3) Playa Vista Branch Library:  6400 Playa Vista Dr., Los Angeles, 90094;

(4) Mar Vista Library:  12006 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90066;

(5) Culver City Library:  4975 Overland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90230; and

(6) Central Library:  630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles, CA 90071.

The Final EIR is also available online at the Department of City Planning’s website [http://cityplanning.lacity.org (click on “Environmental” and then “Final EIR”)].  The Final EIR can be purchased on CD-ROM for $7.50 per copy.  Contact Adam Villani of the City of Los Angeles at (213) 978-1472 to purchase one.

PUBLIC HEARING INFORMATION:  A notice has been mailed regarding a public hearing for this Project.  The public hearing for the Project, Case No. CPC 2009-2425 GPA-ZC-SP-DA, will be held on:

For Final EIR Volume I Sections: