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 nor 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. Depending on future funding, LMIJ proposes to move the campus' recycling area to the lower level of the Drollinger parking structure 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. This would increase the existing 3,261 beds on campus by approximately 989, for a total of approximately 4,250 beds. 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 Bums Campus with new units concentrated in the eastern portion of^. Burns Campus.

Table 1
Summary of Existing and Proposed LMU Campus Facilities

Uses	Existing (gsf)	To Remain (gsf)	To Be Demolished	To Be Added (gsf)	Total At Buildout (gsf)	Net New (gsf)
Academic/Administrative	1,651,000	1,136,000	515,000	1,023,000	2,159,000	508,000
Residential	942,000	572,000	370,000	846,000	1,418,000	476,000
Athletic Facilities (Indoor)	185,000	105,000	80,000	108,000	213,000	28,000
Total	2,778,000	1,813,000	965,000	1,977,000	3,790,000	1,012,000
gsf - gross square feet

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. On the Hughes Campus, new buildings would be limited to a height of 139 feet above mean sea level. On the Leavey Campus, new buildings would be limited to a height of 75 feet above finished grade. On the Burns Campus, height limits would be defined by setbacks from the Hughes Campus boundaries: no new buildings would be permitted within 40 feet of the campus perimeter; new buildings between 40 feet and 74.9 feet from the perimeter would be limited to 25 feet in height above grade; new buildings between 75 feet and 149.9 feet from the perimeter would be limited to 37.5 feet in height above grade; and new buildings 150 feet or more from the Burns Campus boundaries would be limited to 75 feet in height above grade. New buildings would also be required to be set back a minimum of 40 feet from the entire southerly border 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 hiring.

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

ANTICIPATED SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:

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 FIR are expected with regard to construction or operation of the Project. Other issues addressed in the LIR 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 Draft EIR or the documents referenced in the Draft 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 Draft EIR are also at the following Library Branches:

1) William H. Hannon Library: Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045
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
6) Central Library: 630 W. Fifth St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

The Draft EIRs 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.

If you wish to submit comments following review of the Draft EIR, please reference the file number above, and submit them in writing by March 15, 2010.
Please direct your comments to:

Adam Villani, Planning Assistant
Attn.: ENV-2008-1342-EIR Department of City Planning Environmental Review Section
200 N. Spring Street. Room 750
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 978-1472 (phone)
(213) 978-1343 (fax)
Adam.Villani@lacity.org (email)

If a public hearing is required for the proposed Project, a separate hearing notice will be mailed at a later date for such purpose.

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