City Takes the Opposite View
Reacting to Mr. Joness accusatory email, city staffers said they could not approve plans for compliance submitted by the schools architect. The plans, said staffers, indicated many rooms as classrooms. That was a problem, staffers added, because the site was not zoned for a school.
Gleaning from comments made last night by school officials, they said the citys position was a problem for the school because a school already was on the site, zoning notwithstanding. How could their architect bring the school into compliance if his upgrade plans did not reflect classrooms where classrooms existed?
Making Busyness a Business
Based on Mr. Joness email, Rich Wilken, the schools architect, has been busier and more frustrated than a quadriplegic paperhanger for the last 6 months. According to Mr. Jones, the architect has been traveling back and forth between the school and City Hall, trying to win approval of his sketches and intentions.
Not busy enough, said city staffers. The seismic upgrade has not been accomplished. Mr. Wilken has completed drawings of portions of the existing building structure for the site, staffers said, but as of (yesterday), no construction permit had been applied for to upgrade the structure.
Craig Johnson, the citys Director of Building and Safety, made an arresting announcement at last nights Redevelopment Agency meeting. Having inspected the old one-story building at 10101 W. Jefferson Blvd. that the school shares with its ideological cousin, the Eco Star Station. Mr. Johnson said: Everything in the building is fine unless there is an earthquake. The Redevelopment Agency ordered the first phase of the seismic upgrade to be completed by the first week in February or the school will be closed down.
Postscript
With back taxes, a one-step application for an after-the-fact conditional use permit, safety plans and earthquake retrofitting on its Emergency To-Do list, could the schools celebration last night have been premature? Since school officials have shown no appetite for satisfying details demanded by City Hall during the past year and a half, the next 6 weeks are bound to make fascinating watching.
