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Dear Wendy-Sue -We have the most beautiful and vibrant neighborhoods in the city and some of the most
congested roads. Like you, I cant drive down Sunset in the afternoon without planning for
maddening traffic delays. Thats why traffic is my first and top concern with any development
proposal. Looking at potential traffic impacts is the lens through which I have approached the
Archer School for Girls application to expand and modernize its campus on Sunset Boulevard.
The Archer proposal is one of the more controversial developments I have dealt with since taking
office last year. Archer is a world-class institution in a terribly complex location. A phenomenal
school for bright, talented young women, surrounded by a residential neighborhood and one of
the worst traffic choke points in the City. In considering support for this project, I need to weigh
three major concerns: the regional impact on traffic; the quality of life impacts on neighbors; and
the educational impact on the bright young women and girls who attend Archer.
Archers expansion plan laid out in its Draft EIR is ambitious and it is immediately obvious that
that plan would cause more traffic and congestion, and detrimental impacts to neighbors, making
it a bad fit for Brentwood and the surrounding communities. As much as I love the school and
admire its mission, that plan is clearly not right for our neighborhoods. I have told the applicant
that I cannot support a proposal unless dramatic changes are made.
Hearing the concerns of neighbors, the Brentwood Homeowners Association, the Brentwood
Community Council and many, many others, I am insisting that Archer make the following
changes, big and small, impacting traffic concerns, neighborhood issues, and the physical
footprint of the proposed project:
Traffic Issues
Neighborhood Impacts
Physical Footprint
Eliminate the aquatics center proposed for the residential property on Barrington.
Carve out a residential parcel on Barrington that will not be part of the project.
Reduce the size of the proposed performing arts center on the residential lot on
Chaparal Street from 650 to 395 seats.
Mandate that the performing arts center on Chaparal Street comply with residential
development standards such as front-yard setbacks and height limits.
Install additional trees along Chaparal Street and a second row of trees on the south
side of the wall to create a double row of landscaping on Chaparal Street.
Reduce the North Wing renovation by approximately 9,000 square feet.
Reduce the massing, width, and length of the multipurpose gym facility, and improve the
design and articulation of the building.
Relocate the visual arts center to behind the performing arts center on the Barrington
side of the site.
Reduce the overall square footage of the project.
Retain a significant amount of the existing campus as open space.
Even if Archer makes those changes, there will, of course be outstanding issues and many
details to resolve as the project moves through the planning process. For example, neighbors
continue to voice concerns about a multipurpose gym facility proposed on the school's current
footprint. The neighborhood cannot handle another building that generates traffic or noise
impacts and I am insisting that Archer demonstrate that there be no significant operational
impacts from the building.
Archer is a great school, with deep roots in our community, and it provides a transformative
experience for many young women. I want Archer to continue to thrive on the Westside, but as I
consider its development proposal, its stellar reputation does not erase the considerations
created by the complicated location of its campus.
As Archer continues its mission to build a first-rate school, it should also strive to be a first-class
neighbor. I believe it can do that -- and I believe that, working together, we can all make this
project right for Brentwood.
Regards,
MIKE
Council District 11 United States
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