Monday, 4/21/97 New construction draws complaints from sections
of UCLA community
By Brooke Olson Daily Bruin Staff It seems that UCLA keeps on
building and building – much to the dismay of the UC Board of
Regents, university faculty, students and surrounding homeowners.
To many who come to campus daily, it has seemed that as the
scaffolding has comes down on one building, construction has begun
on another. And over the next few months, the university will
attempt to gain the regents’ approval for a variety of additional
construction projects. This includes the expansion of the J.D.
Morgan Intercollegiate Athletic Center into the Bruin Plaza park,
as well as a possible proposal to erect a parking garage in the
space formerly occupied by Towell. UCLA’s rush to eliminate what
many call the "garden atmosphere" of campus in favor of concrete
slabs and brick walls has elevated fears that the university will
continue to violate the 1990 Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) –
an agreement by the university to reserve specific parts of the
campus for nature. But the issue is controversial for another
reason – Regents, as well as other construction opponents, believe
that Chancellor Young is attempting to push through these
construction projects before the new chancellor assumes control on
July 1. Sources indicated that chancellor-to-be Dr. Albert
Carnesale possibly objects to the construction proposals and that
current UCLA administrators are attempting to secure the jobs of
Capital Program employees before Carnesale arrives. The concerns
are so serious that many regents are considering a moratorium on
all campus construction and building plans until Carnesale takes
the helm, said UC Regent Velma Montoya. "A number of regents I’ve
spoken to have suggested that we leave this (issue of construction)
until the new chancellor arrives," Montoya said. "They believe the
Morgan Center expansion is controversial and it’s best not to tie
the hands of the new chancellor by approving these projects right
before he arrives on campus." University administrators argue that
there is no rush to start these projects before Young retires.
Referring to the timing as a "mere coincidence," administrators
contend that these projects have been in the works for years. "It
just appears that a lot of things are happening before Carnesale
arrives," said Mark Horne, assistant director of campus and
environment planning. "It’s just a consequence of the (1994
Northridge) earthquake – we had a lot of things to fix so we
decided that we’ll just fulfill our other building plans." In
fulfilling these other plans, though, the university is in clear
violation of the Long Range Development Plan. Under the LRDP, the
campus was divided into various zones and capped the amount of
development that these various sectors could withstand. The
expansion of the Morgan Center increases the square footage of
office space by over 30 percent of the building space allocated to
that zone. UCLA has proposed to transfer square footage intended
for Lot 32 and use it to increase the density at the heart of
campus – a proposal some refer to as ridiculous. "There’s a reason
that the LRDP was designed the way it was," said Travis Longcore, a
doctorate student in the Department of Geography. "It was
determined that different areas of the campus were perceived to be
able to hold different amounts of building space, and I don’t think
the area within Westwood Plaza can really take any more buildings.
"If there really was no difference, there wouldn’t have been
separate square footage allocations to different zones of campus to
begin with," Longcore added. However, UCLA officials argue that the
area not only could withstand the new building, but is also in
desperate need of more office space. In addition, according to the
environmental study, the Morgan Center expansion creates no
"significant" impacts on the environment. "There’s nothing really
that cannot be (fixed)," Horne said. "We’d have to cut down some
trees but we could plant some in other areas … not in (Westwood)
Plaza, though – there’s no room – but we could plant some by Towell
or by the parking structures." In addition, UCLA officials argue
that the park adjacent to the Morgan Center cannot be fully used as
a a natural area because it is often wet and muddy as a result of
drainage problems. But opponents of the expansion believe that this
argument is preposterous and accuse UCLA of letting the park’s
conditions deteriorate in order to further justify their need for
additional buildings. "It’s really quite shameless – UCLA doesn’t
maintain this area and then decry that its worthless, and they
build on it," said Alvin Milder, director of UCLA Watch, an
organization of various Westwood homeowners who often raise
concerns about the continued construction on campus. "The garden
atmosphere of the campus is being almost completely destroyed." The
attempt to preserve the natural environment has also been
undertaken by two committees of the UCLA Academic Senate. These
committees have questioned the need for expansion and have even
brought their concerns to the Regents – a move many say is unusual.
Faculty do not often object to administrative proposals and when
they do, it is enough to raise some red flags at the Regents’
meetings, sources said. "We’ve heard enough complaints from UCLA –
including from the faculty at the university – to indicate that it
would be appropriate to perhaps wait and take a closer look at the
planning process on campus," said student Regent Jess Bravin. UCLA
officials plan to bring the Morgan Center expansion proposal before
the Regents at the May meeting. Whether or not the Regents will
issue the approval is still up in the air, but faculty and
homeowners indicated that their struggle to maintain the university
as a park-like oasis will continue. "I’ve been dealing with
construction issues for about two years now, and I find the
attitude of (UCLA administrators and Capitol Programs members) to
be something of a ‘we know best and it doesn’t matter what people
think’ … but that isn’t going to stop me and others from voicing
their concerns and making them listen," Longcore said. "We’re
losing too much of our green space on campus to this linearized
paved landscape." "Still Growing" – Some of the current
construction projects at UCLA. 3/3/97 "Expansion project to add new
parking under field."