Friday, December 4, 2009
Zach Rosenfeld
Staff Writer
The decision by the Manhattan Beach School District on Measure BB to build in the Peck Avenue parking lot of campus was a smart one, and it ended a spirited debate between Costa’s neighbors and its parents and students with a resolution that benefits Costa.
Mira Costa’s neighbors were arguing for the new math and science building to be built in the heart of campus, where the new quad will be located. The amount of traffic and disruption to the students’ learning environment and would be hugely significant if the building were built there.
Students simply wouldn’t be able to learn as well in class if a jack hammer or truck were disrupting their instruction in the middle of campus, right outside of their classrooms. Building in the parking lot prevents this.
The point of constructing the new math and science building in the parking lot is to ensure that the campus is disrupted as little as possible by construction. Temporary classrooms will not be needed because when the building is built, teachers will simply move into their new, already-constructed classrooms.
In the recently accepted plan, a parking lot will be built on the Meadows Avenue side of campus. The neighbors claimed that it will flood the area with traffic and that the space should instead be used for athletic facilities. However, this new parking lot will actually decrease traffic on the Meadows Avenue side of school by making it so students will not have to park along the street.
The neighbors instead wanted the math and science building to be built in the area where the old administration building classrooms 30-39 currently are. BB calls for a new quad to be built in this area. This new quad would provide a larger area for student activities, and depriving students of it would hurt the school.
Also, if built there, the construction would cause major problems for students trying to get to class in the proposed “finger buildings,” or the current 40-70 halls.
Freshmen would have trouble gaining a familiarity with the campus if the building was built in the new quad. They would also spend their first two years at Mira Costa with major construction in the middle of campus.
The neighbors also argue that the walk during passing periods to the new building in the parking lot would be too long, causing students to be late for class. The walk is actually about the same length as the current one from room 60 to the band hall, which is walked without problems by many students every day.
Another argument of the neighbors is that the new building will cast a shadow over nearby houses. However, the history buildings are the same size as what the new building will be, and they currently do not cast any bothersome shadows.
Mira Costa’s neighbors should accept that when they bought their homes near the school, they were consenting to deal with any school construction or functions. Their complaints have have no credibility because they live near a school by choice.
BB is roughly a three-year project that will improve the campus for a great many years to come. The neighbors are being short-sighted by worrying about the effect it will have on themselves for only a year. They should take into account the educational needs of students in their school.
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