TENTATIVE TRACT NO. 060368 / 1901 VENICE BOULEVARD

Motion - Loyola High School of Los Angeles ("Loyola"), the oldest private educational institution of any kind in Southern California, was established as a private religious school in 1865. Loyola moved to the current location at 1901 Venice Boulevard in 1917. Loyola provides a well-rounded, college preparatory program and maintains an attractive campus. In order to maintain the highest standards of academic excellence and enhance the educational program, facilities and learning environment, the Loyola Board of Trustees has initiated a twelve year Master Plan for the campus. The Plan includes plans for new construction and renovation of existing buildings to improve the academic curriculum and physical features, increasing the safety and security of the students, staff and local community. No changes are proposed to any of the existing buildings and facilities located along the historic Venice Boulevard frontage. The Master Plan includes a three-lot Merger and Resubdivision to facilitate consolidation of properties under Loyola's ownership. Tentative Tract No. 060368 is currently under consideration to consolidate the school ownership. Lot 1 of proposed Merger and Resubdivision Tentative Tract No. 060368 is a large, irregularly-shaped, 19.26 acre, interior parcel of land with frontage along six adjacent, streets, including an approximate 1,896-foot frontage along the north side of Venice Boulevard, a designated Secondary Highway. In conjunction with the pending subdivision action, based on the City's standards for Secondary Highways, a 2-foot to 7.5-foot variable strip of land would be required to be dedicated as public street along Venice Boulevard to accommodate a 45-foot half street dedication, and would require construction of street improvements to complete a 35-foot in width half roadway along the north side of Venice Boulevard. In the instant situation, however, implementation of the standard public street dedication and improvement requirements would result in adverse impacts on both Loyola and the surrounding community. Standard street dedication would require destruction of existing Loyola improvements, including an existing building and regulation running track. This scenario would impinge on regular school activities. Since it would be an unreasonable hardship to require demolition of existing improvements, the standard 45-foot half street is not possible. Furthermore, implementation of the standard 35-foot in width half roadway would result in substandard, inadequate sidewalk width with no beneficial impact on vehicular circulation patterns in the area. If the roadway were widened, the resulting variable sidewalk width would not meet State standards for disabled accessibility or City standards for a Secondary Highway, creating a hazardous situation for the pedestrian safety and security. The additional roadway width would not add vehicular capacity, since there are restricted roadway widths easterly (at Vermont Avenue) and westerly (at Normandie Avenue). Rather, the roadway width would permit either a limited third westbound lane or, a two-way left turn lane. The former would result in two vehicular hazard points when three lanes transition to two lanes at the existing Normandie Park and Loyola traffic signal; the latter would result in the elimination of curbside parking along the south side of the street. Any widening would result in the loss of mature trees. THEREFORE MOVE that the City Council direct the Bureau of Engineering, in connection with the recordation of Tentative Tract No. 060368, to waive all requirements for: 1.) street dedication along the north side of Venice Boulevard, north of the existing fence line or east of Berendo Street (including no land that contains existing fencing and/or Loyola facilities to be dedicated and no future street dedications of any kind to be required); and 2.) construction of or bonding for any roadway widening or improvements along the north side of Venice Boulevard.

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