Few people in the quiet residential neighborhood immediately adjacent to Archer oppose a reasonable renovation to improve Archer’s existing physical plant. Those renovations, however, have to be consistent both with the character of the neighborhood Archer chose to move into 15 years ago, when other sites were available, and consistent with the carefully negotiated Conditional Use Permit (CUP) that balanced the needs of the school with protections for Archer’s immediate neighbors.
Unfortunately, the current proposal does not meet these basic principles and instead reflects a massive expansion that will not only fundamentally alter the neighborhood but increase the burdens on an already overburdened community.
Rather than a reasonable renovation to its existing facilities, including the addition of an already approved 12,000 square foot gymnasium, Archer proposes to:
• Demolish two existing single family residences;
• Add four new buildings comprising 73,700 square feet, roughly doubling Archer’s existing physical plant in an already dense area;
• Place lights on its athletic field despite having single family residences as close as four yards from the field;
• Construct a 96,000 square foot underground parking structure which will require the removal of cubic tons of dirt;
• Add an unenclosed aquatic stadium;
• Add additional on campus parking and reduce the number of students necessary to comprise a carpool;
• Substantially increase the use of the facility, particularly at night and on the weekends; and
• Add 30 more days of use with a summer school program.
While Archer is in discussion with various concerned groups, the current plan is one to which the community must say no. Anyone who has spent 45 minutes to an hour trying to get from Kenter to the 405 freeway or has had to navigate a 100 yard line of bumper to bumper cars simply to enter their driveway on the streets immediately adjacent to Archer knows that such a massive expansion is the last thing an already overburdened community needs or wants.
Already a traffic nightmare, just imagine the addition of dozens of cars arriving and leaving during rush hour as Archer hosts basketball, volleyball, soccer and softball games along with swim meets and a host of artistic events to “fully utilize†its four new buildings.
Opposition to the massive proposed expansion is not an attack on Archer or its mission despite statements to the contrary. Indeed, most people, including this article’s authors, support Archer’s mission and the school as an institution.
However, Archer’s mission is no different now than when it agreed to a specific set of neighborhood protections as a condition of the school being allowed to commence operations in a quiet residential neighborhood. Critical factors of those protections embodied in Archer’s existing CUP include:
• Hours of operation that limit night time use and weekend use and outside use of Archer’s facilities
• A set number of special events that take place at night and on the weekends
• Specific guidelines regarding carpools and drop off and parking on campus
• Limited use of the field and no lights on the field
• Noise restrictions that include no amplified or loud music outside
• Allowance for the building of a gymnasium, whose location was carefully chosen
Over the years Archer has expanded its use, which led Zoning Administrator Dan Green, at the last Compliance Plan Approval in 2007, to note:
Stasis exists because the balance established by the Conditions is fair…The Archer School’s initial approval for this location required the cobbling together of Conditions and restrictions that allowed it to be shoe horned into a residential neighborhood on a lot previously occupied for many years by retired nuns.
The current plan represents substantial expansion of the school’s facilities and operations with no commitment to keep the existing use restrictions in place. As a matter of fundamental fairness the need for new buildings and updated facilities does not justify nor require Archer to throw out the existing CUP and unwind all of the protections that were put in place that allowed them to come into the neighborhood in the first instance.
Moreover, if the current protections are weakened, it will set a dangerous precedent for the three other private school campuses that are located within a quarter mile of the Archer campus. Consequently, the potential ramifications of Archer’s current proposal are not limited to the substantial increase in burden on the neighborhood that will directly result just from Archer’s increase in size and intensity of use.
The Residential Neighbors of Archer, a group of over 70 concerned neighbors, feels that Archer can improve their existing facilities and construct a gymnasium (even one larger than originally permitted to accommodate athletic and performing art activities) within the existing CUP so that Archer’s neighbors do not lose all of the protections that were a condition of Archer moving into the neighborhood.
If you would like to know more, please visit www.archerneighbors.com and sign up for email alerts.
