University Master Plan
Welcome. The university's campus master plan is a comprehensive, long-term vision for the physical development of our 150-acre campus. This online resource provides information resources, feedback opportunities and background for your review. Thank you for taking the time in making our university and surrounding community a better place to live, study and work.
UPDATE
Community Members’ Frequently Asked Questions
Regarding Loyola Marymount University’s
Proposed Master Plan Project
About the Proposed LMU Master Plan Project
What is the purpose of the proposed Master Plan Project?
The Master Plan is a visioning document that will guide development on campus over the next 20 years, ensuring LMU can continue to provide its students with access to state of the art educational facilities, build more housing for undergraduate students on-campus to help alleviate pressures on the surrounding community, improve administrative space, and upgrade pedestrian and vehicle circulation on campus.
Recent facilities evaluations identified serious existing space problems for many departments and colleges and further identified future needs for space. Another evaluation assessed the viability of the physical structures on campus.
The proposed Master Plan Project is seeking a General Plan Amendment, establishment of a Specific Plan for LMU to harmonize approvals between the three current campus sites, a zone change, and a 20-year development agreement with the City of Los Angeles.
The General Plan Amendment seeks to change the Westchester-Playa del Rey Community Plan designation of LMU as a Low Residential Density Zone to a High Medium Residential Density Zone in order to be consistent with the university’s use and zoning.
Is the proposed Master Plan Project an expansion?
The proposed Master Plan Project does not envision any expansion of the LMU campus or student enrollment cap. Under the proposed project, the LMU campus footprint will remain the same and LMU’s student enrollment cap of 7,800 full time equivalent students (in existence since 2001) will not change.
The proposed Master Plan Project does envision a “de-densification” of the facilities and therefore an increase in square footage on campus will result. The existing facilities on the campus total approximately 2.7 million square feet – of this, about 1.8 million square feet are non‑residential facilities. The other 940,000 square feet are undergraduate residential facilities. The proposed Master Plan Project envisions adding an additional approximately 1 million square feet of facilities, which will include uses such as classroom, laboratory, studio space, faculty offices, and more undergraduate residential facilities.
What is a Specific Plan?
Currently, a complex web of conditions, which have been established in a piecemeal fashion over time applies to the LMU campus. The Specific Plan will institute consistent, clear development regulations across the entire campus to unify the separate city’s CUP approvals for the Leavey, Hughes and Burns campuses in one LMU campus Master Plan. The Specific Plan as proposed will institute height, setback, density, and open space regulations more stringent or equal to those that currently exist on campus, limiting potential impacts on neighbors and the neighborhood.
Student Enrollment
Will LMU ensure student enrollment will not increase?
LMU wants to preserve its small campus character. As such, the proposed Master Plan Project proposes retaining the current student enrollment cap of 7,800 full time equivalent students, which has been in effect since 2001, when LMU acquired the Hughes Campus. LMU is not seeking approval to expand this number.
Will student tuition and fees increase to fund the proposed Master Plan Project?
LMU does not fund capital building projects with money from tuition or fees. Instead, the university raises funds for such projects through private donors. For example, the William H. Hannon Library, which is currently being constructed, received a significant gift from the William H. Hannon Foundation and the Bill Hannon Foundation that initiated the project and served as a catalyst to fund additional fundraising to cover construction costs. Additional fundraising for the library began in 2003 and is expected to be completed in 2008.
Parking
Will the proposed Master Plan Project increase parking on campus?
Currently, LMU has approximately 4,000 existing parking spaces on campus. The Environmental Impact Report will include a parking study that further evaluates the code required parking needs of the campus.
Does LMU support discouraging students from parking in surrounding neighborhoods?
LMU does not want its students to park in surrounding neighborhoods. Although public parking within the community is legal, LMU will gladly collaborate with the neighbors and the City of Los Angeles to establish permit parking in the community, if the community so chooses. LMU believes permit parking could be an effective tool to minimize the impact of parking on surrounding neighborhood streets.
Housing
How will increased on-campus housing ensure students will live on campus?
Students are eager to live on campus for its ease, convenience and affordability. Parents often prefer on campus housing for their children. For this reason, LMU continues to have a waiting list for on campus housing that is expected to only increase in the upcoming years as the cost of energy and transportation rises in Los Angeles. To address this demand and neighbor concerns about students living in the surrounding neighborhood, the proposed Master Plan Project aims to increase the number of undergraduate students living on campus from 60 to 75 percent.
Environmental Sustainability
Has LMU considered the environment when planning the proposed Master Plan Project?
LMU is strongly committed to protecting and improving the community’s environment. LMU has received accolades for its environmental leadership regarding energy and recycling. The campus hosts a number of new green buildings, including the new William H. Hannon Library, which is designed to LEED Silver criteria. Additionally, on October 17, 2007, LMU’s President Father Robert B. Lawton, S. J. signed the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment.
The proposed Master Plan Project reflects LMU’s strong commitment to the environment. All new buildings on campus will be sustainable, green buildings. LMU also will utilize recycled water and xeric landscaping whenever possible to reduce water usage. The proposed Master Plan Project also will move more students on campus to reduce vehicle miles traveled to campus each day. Additionally, the proposed Master Plan Project designates space for a future green line stop on Lincoln Boulevard.
What are the plans for the recycling center?
In accordance with state mandates requiring recycling and diversion from landfills, LMU proudly hosts a recycling center. For approximately 60 years, the university’s facilities management yard has been in its current location. Since 1990, the University’s recycling program has been centralized in that same outdoor recycling and facilities management area. The proposed Master Plan Project keeps the facilities management area in the same location.
Over the years, in an attempt to address concerns raised by adjacent neighbors, the university has moved some operations away from this facilities management area. For example, the university has moved the campus distribution center (which receives and distributes mail and other deliveries) across campus to University Hall. The university also has modified procedures in the recycling area in an attempt to minimize early morning activities and other potential sources of impacts on neighbors.
As you may be aware, in the last year, LMU has made several proposals regarding the recycling center to resolve concerns of adjacent neighbors. While none of those proposals have been accepted to date, LMU also has agreed to participate in a city‑sponsored mediation process. We are working toward resolution regarding concerns about LMU’s recycling.
Construction Plans and Impacts
Is there a construction schedule available?
The proposed Master Plan Project is a design to incrementally improve the campus over the next 20 years and includes a Specific Plan, which is a broad planning document that outlines a vision for future campus improvements. No architecture or specific buildings are being proposed as a part of the Master Plan process at this time. Instead, the proposed Specific Plan associated with the proposed project will create rules and parameters for any future development of the campus. As such, a construction schedule has not yet been developed.
Where will the construction trucks drive through and park?
While a haul route has not been established for any buildings under the proposed Master Plan Project, as any building is at least two or three years in the future, the university and City of Los Angeles will ensure that all construction vehicles enter and leave campus through the main campus entrance on Lincoln Boulevard and to the nearest freeways, thereby minimizing any impacts on the surrounding neighborhood during construction phases.
Environmental Impact Report and City Process
What is an EIR?
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required by the City of Los Angeles to process the proposed Master Plan Project. The EIR will analyze the environmental impacts that the proposed Master Plan Project will have on the environment. The City’s EIR consultant will prepare a Draft EIR (DEIR), which will be available for public review and comment before it is finalized. The EIR will, at minimum, analyze potential environmental impacts in the following areas:
· Aesthetics
§ Air Quality
§ Cultural Resources
§ Fire Protection
§ Hydrology and Water Quality
§ Land Use
§ Noise
§ Police Protection
§ Transportation and Circulation
§ Water Supply
As part of the EIR process, the city sent out a Notice of Preparation (NOP) and conducted a scoping session, held June 11, 2008, to hear comments from the public on the potential environmental impacts the EIR should consider. After the EIR is finalized, the city will start its public process to consider the proposed Master Plan Project for approval.
What are the next steps in the process? Will residents and other stakeholders be notified?
The environmental review and public approval process for LMU’s proposed Master Plan Project is in the very beginning stages. It started with the issuance of a Notice of Preparation (NOP) on March 23, 2008 followed by the June 11, 2008 key group and scoping meetings. This public process will continue for at least another year or two. During this process, there will be many opportunities to comment in person and in writing.
The next step will be the issuance of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) by the City of Los Angeles, which will be released for public review and comment. The public will have a defined time period to provide comments on the DEIR. Following will be the city’s preparation of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR), which the city must respond to every comment received on environmental issues during the DEIR comment period. The city then will release the FEIR, which will move forward to the City Council for approval.
All the while, there will be a number of additional public meetings hosted by the City of Los Angeles, the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa del Rey, LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce and other entities, at which interested parties will be invited to ask questions and share their comments.
Archived Master Plan Documents
Community Open House Announcement,
California Environmental Quality Act Initial Study and Checklist
Notice of Preparation (NOP) and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting for the Environmental Impact Report
If you are using Safari on a Mac and are unable to view the hyperlinks above please send a message to cegriffin@lmu.edu and the meeting documents will be sent to you via e-mail.