On behalf of [ORGANIZATION], I submit the following comments regarding the project proposed by the Archer

School for Girls at 11725 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (Project).
For the last three years the Brentwood Community has worked toward a resolution with Archer School for Girls
(Archer) that would lessen the significant adverse impacts to the community from Archers proposed expansion
plan in a traffic area Councilmember Bonin describes as one of the worst choke points in the City. The Modified
Plan proposed in Archers Final EIR is not a reasonable alternative to the original Project and neither is the new
proposal by Archer, which would build the proposed project in three years and consolidate all of the impacts into a
condensed timeframe with no adequate analysis in the EIRs. Therefore, neither one of these proposals is
acceptable.
Multiple groups have tried to work with the Applicant to negotiate a compromise plan to condition the use of the
facility and allow the Applicant almost all of its proposed site plan. The compromise plan proposed would have
reduced the Projects impact on the broader Brentwood community and protected the adjacent residential
neighbors. While these discussions at times seemed fruitful, the Applicant has decided not to resolve its
differences and come to an agreement with the neighbors and the community of Brentwood. To be clear, our
Association is not opposed to the current operations and welcomed the Applicant to the community a short 15
years ago. But we are disappointed in the Applicants continued desire to increase its operations in direct conflict
with its sensitive location and with little regard for the concerns of the community.
The community of Brentwood is choking in traffic, especially during peak hours. There is no location where this is
more evident than the Sunset Boulevard corridor, where it can take more than an hour to travel from one side of
our community to the other and cut-through traffic is an everyday occurrence. Of special concern is the
intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Barrington Avenue directly adjacent to the Project, where drivers regularly
wait more than 15 minutes and occasionally up to 45 minutes to move through the intersection. Unfortunately, the
Project proposed by the Applicant will only make this already unbearable situation worse with a lengthy
construction schedule, significant excavation and hauling, and an overwhelming increase in intensity of use.
That is why, since Archer has not agreed to the Communitys compromise plan, we have no choice but to support
Alternative 2, which allows the Applicant to build a 12,000 sq ft gym and mitigates traffic impacts to less than
significant. The following community organizations support Alternative 2:
1. Brentwood Community Council
2. Brentwood Homeowners Association
3. Brentwood Hills Homeowners
Association
4. Mandeville Canyon Association
5. Upper Mandeville Canyon Property
Owners Association
6. Brentwood Park Property Owners
Association

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Brentwood Glen Association

Brentwood Village Chamber of Commerce
Brentwood Residents Coalition
Bel Air Skycrest Property Owners Association
Bel Air Knolls Property Owners Association
Residential Neighbors of Brentwood School
Residential Neighbors of Archer

Alternative 2 meets the findings and was approved in 1998, through a lengthy EIR process and extensive
negotiations between the School, the neighbors, the Brentwood Homeowners Association and the
Councilmembers office. In granting the current CUP, the City found that the appropriate size and use of the
School were met with a physical footprint that did not include the Chaparal and Barrington Parcels, but included
one gym, a Main Building, and 109 parking spaces as well as restrictions on use that took into account the
Schools ability to operate while protecting the neighbors from adverse traffic and noise impacts. Nothing has
changed since these findings were made to justify Archer throwing out the existing CUP and putting in its place a
new CUP that allows

68 more students
37 more faculty and staff
up to 142 more cars parked on
campus
110 more athletic events on
campus
39 additional special events on
campus

4 new buildings
Events in outdoor courtyards and plazas for 650
people until 10:00pm Mon -Sat
School use every Saturday
24 days of filming
30 days of summer school for 350 students

We encourage you to review the previous approvals and minutes, including the original approval that was
negotiated with Councilmember Miscikowski and the findings and conditions carefully crafted by Zoning
Administrator Daniel Green. (Please see chart below for a comparison of the proposed project vs. the existing
approved site.) It is important to note that the Citys previous plan approvals were well developed and considered
the balance that must be created between a school operation that is shoehorned into a residential neighborhood.
We hope the Planning Commission will give the same consideration that previous Commissions and Councils did
to this difficult location and the concerns of the community and not adopt the currently proposed Project as
outlined in the Staff Report.
Sincerely,

Proposed Archer
Project in FEIR

Physical Plant (Condition 5)

(in sq ft)

Total sq ft

Main Building /North Wing 84,478

Two Gym Multipurpose Facility
39,330
Performing Arts Center 19,025
Visual Arts Center 7,400

Existing Use
Under Current Permit
Main Building/North Wing
84,178
One gym 12,000
(with attached maintenance
building of 709)

150,233

96,887

78%

15%

Gym seat capacity (Condition 8)

830

450

Performing Arts seat capacity

395

41ft and 46 ft
(requires modification)

36 ft

Expand footprint onto Barrington

and Chaparal lots; demolish houses

Residential lots with houses on

Barrington and Chaparal not
included

25 ft

75 ft

185 underground parking spaces

251 stacked parking with attendant

109 above ground parking

spaces

Mon - Fri
7:00am to 10:00pm
Saturday 9:00am to 6:00pm
(30% of enrollment allowed on
campus on Saturdays)

Mon - Fri
7:00am to 6:00pm
No Saturdays

518

450

Six week summer school

24 days for filming

No outside use
No filming

Special Events (Condition 11)

86

47

Attendance at special events

21,000

10,000

% Increase of Physical Plant

Number of buildings after
development

Height restriction on north wing and

gym (Condition 8a)
Footprint (Condition 5)
Setback of at grade buildings at
Chaparal property line (Condition 5)
Parking (Condition 12)

Days and Hours of Operation for

instruction during 36 week School
year (Condition 11)
Enrollment (Condition 6)
Outside Use (Condition 7)

Comparison of Proposed Site and Conditions vs. Existing Site and Conditions
Enrollment (Condition 6)

518
132 faculty and staff

450 students
95 faculty and staff