Tensions Deflate Over Canyon Charter Remodel

By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter

What started as a feud between the Los Angeles Unified School District and the residents of Rustic Canyon turned into a friendly collaboration during a follow up community meeting at the school on Thursday, April 25.

The district’s announcement that Canyon Charter Elementary School was set to undergo a $3.9 million renovation and multi-year construction overhaul drew stark criticism from neighbors who cited traffic and pollution concerns.

But architects and school officials like Ashley Mercado, community relations organizer for LAUSD, and Scott Singletary, development manager for LAUSD’s Facilities Services Division, absorbed the initial shock, taking into account most concerns and addressing them at the meeting on Thursday.

The project, which has been broken up into two phases, will remove older portable classrooms that no longer meet the required standard and replace them with ADA-compliant bungalows by spring of 2020.

The second phase, still under review and with a tentative start date, will bring a two-story permanent structure to the campus, and will add three large kindergarten classrooms on the first floor and five elementary classrooms on the second. The new building will only serve to restructure the layout and upgrade the facilities and will not be enough to allow more students to enroll.

The design was created to “consolidate classrooms into the corner and move the play field into the heart of the campus,” according to the project’s architect.

Concerns of dust pollution were mitigated by explaining construction crews’ processes of dampening dirt and a project hotline that will be available for any questions or comments.

“There will be an exploration on where workers can park,” said Singletary, in response to concerns of an overflow of vehicles parked near the construction site.

“The overall volume seems a little bit heavy to me,” said Bob Dolbinksi, a local architect and board member on the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. He asked for a more detailed rendering that would compare the height and size to the current structures at the school so the public could have a better idea of just how big the building will be.

“I would just encourage you guys to keep looking at it,” he said.

But one common complaint remained on the minds of parents who drive to Canyon Charter everyday and deal with the congested and dangerous pick-up and drop-off area, a feature that will not be changed during the overhaul but might be further discussed at future meetings.