College Trustees Approve Plan for Development

The Santa Monica College board of trustees this week unanimously approved a master plan for development that officials hope will organize and beautify the 38-acre campus.

Rocky Young, the college’s vice president for planning and development, said Wednesday the goal of the plan was to “bring order into chaos.”

He said the campus has suffered for lack of a master plan for the last 40 years. Adding to the problem, the 1994 Northridge earthquake severely damaged many buildings and made it necessary to use temporary structures.

Starting in March 1997, the college held more than 40 public meetings to decide on the elements of the master plan. Goals for 1998 include a new bus drop-off site on Pico Boulevard; new science and liberal arts buildings; a repaired media center; a new municipal pool and demolition of the existing pool.

Later projects include replacing a demolished parking structure and creating a main quad, expanding the library and landscaping the campus.

The college will use a combination of state funds designated for community colleges, Federal Emergency Management Agency money and the proceeds from a voter-approved bond measure to pay for many improvements slated for the next five years. Beyond that, Young said, the college will need to find other funding sources.

Santa Monica College serves about 25,000 students per semester.