Section II
Answers to the school district's issue with this proposal:

1. Issue

The Los Angeles Unified School District requires all of the land for school use.

The 23.8-acre parcel will just meet the CDE minimum acceptable size standard for urban schools to accommodate a full K-12 program, as shown on the attached exhibit.

Selling or leasing a portion of the parcel would either 1) force a reduction in instructional or athletic programs (which is not acceptable) or 2) require the District to acquire additional land at another location, possibly through contested condemnation.

Answer

First, we need to define what the school project is and how many students. Our community believes we need not create one large school complex and have thousands of students concentrated in one area in the middle of a major commercial area. We need to create a school complex that acts as the hub for many other smaller schools in surrounding area with the help of the charter schools.

There are a number of new schools being proposed by the District that are less than the 17.8 acre site that the Community proposal provides for the Ambassador site school. The State understands that their standards were designed for non-urban areas where there are vacant lands for new schools. The State is permitting different standards in dense urban areas like our Community, where there is very limited vacant land. Within the 17.8 acres the school district can create a high school and a middle school. The elementary schools should be located closer to where the young kids live or near a residential area where the very young kids are not crossing major streets and are within in quieter and safer areas.

Also, the original EIR and planning by the school district for the use of the Ambassador site in the early 1990's was for a school on 17.8 acres and a commercial development on the six acres along Wilshire Blvd.

If the district views the plan submitted to Urban Partners by the Community and L. A. Conservancy, there is room for instructional or athletic programs. Also, this community has worked tirelessly to help the school district find land for schools. This community has been very cooperative with the school district for the past two years. These kids are our kids, and we care a great deal about their future. In fact, this community has been very active in building charter schools in this area.

2. Issue:

Commercial use would detract from the view corridor to the existing hotel, a significant historical feature if the building is to be preserved. Impacting this view corridor will cause disputes and delays in the environmental approval process.

Answer:

Review our community plan, which has a view corridor. The L A. Conservancy supports this plan.

3. Issue:

Allowing commercial uses on the property would create new traffic, air quality and noise impacts that would materially complicate and perhaps delay environmental approvals for the site.

Answer:

Again, a final environmental impact report was certified by LAUSD as lead agency dated July, 1989 and then was supplemented by a supplemental environmental impact report certified by LAUSD as lead agency dated July 31, 1992 that had a commercial development on the first six acres and a school on the 17.8 acres. The current development concept that is being proposed is much less than was proposed in 1992.

This proposal would provide additional needed jobs, taxes, housing and retail services and provide a needed destination center for the Wilshire Center Urban Village. We are also working with LADOT in looking at ways to reduce traffic and improve air quality by applying for a Caltrans Transportation Grant that will identify and address transportation needs for our Community. The grant will help us move closer to creating the Wilshire Center Urban Village, a livable community with good smart growth principles.

4. Issue:

The LAUSD has experienced difficulty trying to mix commercial uses into school sites, e.g. Belmont.

Answer:

The mixed-use component of Belmont was poorly planned by the school district. That location did not support the commercial uses contemplated by the design.

The community is not proposing to integrate commercial use into the school building but create a project on the existing separate parcel, which will complement the school project. The Ambassador site is a good location for additional commercial use considering that this site is in the middle of a very dense commercial area.

5. Issue:

There has never been commercial use on this section of Wilshire Boulevard.

Answer:

The front is used for parking which is a commercial use plus there is the car rental business. This site has always been within a major commercial center. The L. A. General Plan designates this area as a regional commercial center.

The mix-use commercial concept that the community is proposing would be in keeping with the L. A. General Plan, City zoning, the City's updated Wilshire Community Plan, the Wilshire Center Plan and the proposed plan by the LAUSD in 1992. The City Council and the Mayor on February 26, 02 requested the LAUSD to format its actions with consideration to the City's General Plan. Besides providing a needed a retail community center the concept would provide needed housing for those being relocated by the LAUSD, those in need of affordable ownership type housing and in need of senior housing.

6. Issue

There is no shortage of desirable space for commercial use on other parcels in Wilshire Center.

Answer:

There is shortage a tremendous shortage of sites larger than one acre, which are required by "credit" retailers. There is a long list of retail tenants waiting for space in this district. The demand is strong and the supply is limited. This community needs a destination center for the Wilshire Center Urban Village that has retail, entertainment, and housing. We live and work here every day. We fail or we succeed here. Our future happiness and our well-being is here.

7. Issue:

State matching funds, for the purchase of land, would be lost for that portion of land used for commercial.

Answer:

Lets save some taxes payer's money or use the money someplace else.