HOW LAUSD'S DREAM BECAME A NIGHTMARE; WARNINGS ABOUT UNDERLYING OIL WELLS IGNORED WHILE DISTRICT OFFICIALS PURSUED GOAL OF BUILDING HIGH SCHOOL TAJ MAHAL.Byline: Terri Hardy Staff Writer Long before the Belmont Learning Center This Belmont Learning Center contains information about a building currently under construction. It may contain information of a speculative nature, and the content may change dramatically as construction progresses and new information becomes available. turned into a toxic nightmare for Los Angeles school The Los Angeles School of Urbanism is an academic movement emerged during the mid-1980s, loosely based at the University of Southern California and UCLA, that poses a challenge to the dominant Chicago School of Urbanism. officials, it was a dream: an innovative academy for teen-agers that would be the talk of the nation, a Taj Mahal Taj Mahal (täzh məhäl`, täj məhŭl`), mausoleum, Agra, Uttar Pradesh state, N India, on the Yamuna River. It is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian to public education. Only it wasn't supposed to be at Temple and Beaudry downtown. In 1986, the complex was envisioned at the old Ambassador Hotel, remembered as the site where Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated as·sas·si·nate tr.v. as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing, as·sas·si·nates 1. To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons. 2. . The school of the future would be a way to provide the best education anywhere, and take thousands of kids from poor neighborhoods off buses and out of overcrowded o·ver·crowd v. o·ver·crowd·ed, o·ver·crowd·ing, o·ver·crowds v.tr. To cause to be excessively crowded: a system of consolidation that only overcrowded the classrooms. classrooms. The public-private ownership theory crash-landed when the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. ran into a legal challenge from a formidable quarter, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of developer Donald Trump  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. . Undaunted, the dreamers fixated fix·ate v. fix·at·ed, fix·at·ing, fix·ates v.tr. 1. To make fixed, stable, or stationary. 2. To focus one's eyes or attention on: fixate a faint object. on a downtown site that photos taken in the early 1900s show was a forest of oil derricks. The wells, most forgotten, unmapped and improperly abandoned, left a legacy of contamination and risk for any future development. Warning signs were everywhere - from state engineers and scientists, from politicians and residents, even the man who used to own the oil field. All went unheeded. And now, more than $170 million later and 13 years after the need for a new high school in one of the most impacted parts of the city was identified, the massive steel skeleton of the nation's costliest high school campus stands partially built, a stark symbol of defiance - a star-crossed project, many say, that should never have been started. ``This was never about the kids, it was about a building, a symbol,'' said Assemblyman as·sem·bly·man n. A man who is a member of a legislative assembly. assemblyman Noun pl -men a member of a legislative assembly Noun 1. Scott Wildman Scott Wildman was a California State Assemblyman from 1996 until 2000. That year, he lost a State Senate primary to Dr. Jack Scott, an Assemblyman from a neighboring district. Wildman received 46.7% of the vote. , D-Glendale, who has investigated the district's purchase of toxic land for schools. ``The problem is they got themselves a real loser of a site and no one wanted to admit it. They pushed ahead, no matter what. Now it's the kids that are the losers.'' Through the years the project has taken on the twists of a soap opera soap opera Broadcast serial drama, characterized by a permanent cast of actors, a continuing story, tangled interpersonal situations, and a melodramatic or sentimental style. - back-room deals, bankruptcy, love affairs, political hay-making, charges of phone tapping phone tapping n → escuchas telefónicas phone tapping n → mise f sur écoutes téléphoniques phone tapping n and demands for criminal investigations. Now, new environmental problems are uncovered with chilling regularity. A 1903 geological map, which was part of the public record, shows eight oil wells in a row along First and Beaudry streets - where the school building is under construction. Wildman unearthed Unearthed is the name of a Triple J project to find and "dig up" (hence the name) hidden talent in regional Australia. Unearthed has had three incarnations - they first visited each region of Australia where Triple J had a transmitter - 41 regions in all. the document, finding it along with a 1990 environmental report prepared for the district. But Angelo Bellomo, a member of the district's safety team, said he's never seen the map. ``It's never advisable to site a building above a well - never,'' Bellomo said. ``This is information that should have been known before the school was built, before the land was purchased.'' And now, the acrid smell of rotten eggs from toxic hydrogen sulfide hydrogen sulfide, chemical compound, H2S, a colorless, extremely poisonous gas that has a very disagreeable odor, much like that of rotten eggs. It is slightly soluble in water and is soluble in carbon disulfide. wafts through the neighborhood, pools of water bubble from potentially explosive methane gas seeping seep intr.v. seeped, seep·ing, seeps 1. To pass slowly through small openings or pores; ooze. 2. To enter, depart, or become diffused gradually. n. 1. from the soil. High concentrations of the gas have been found under the school's concrete foundation. Abandon it? Environmental experts conclude the land may never truly be made right or the safety of the students guaranteed, leading to increasing calls for abandoning the site. Estimates place the cost of the school at $170 million but it is certain to soar. The state's Department of Toxic Substances has said the land was not adequately tested. No one can now say how much it will cost to mitigate the toxic problems. Even Belmont's staunchest supporter, school board President Victoria Castro, said Friday that she feels that district staff kept important information on environmental hazards 'Environmental hazard' is a generic term for any situation or state of events which poses a threat to the surrounding environment. This term incorporates topics like pollution and Natural Hazards such as storms and earthquakes. from her and the rest of the board. Castro said in her zeal to get a much-needed school in the neighborhood, she tuned out critics, believing their concerns were politically driven. ``I kept hearing about the oil field, the oil field,'' Castro said. ``I never took them as reliable sources, I put my faith in district staff. They never said this was dangerous. But now, I believe that the board was not given the information they needed.'' Dom Shambra, the retired district official who spearheaded the Belmont project, laughed at Castro's contention, saying there were countless documents and hearings that detailed environmental conditions at the site - conditions Shambra maintains are easily remedied. ``The board knew it all,'' Shambra said. ``Everything I did was guided by the board. I always had four votes behind me.'' Long history The deal that created Belmont took years to come to fruition, battled out in community forums, lawyers' offices and the state Capitol. The project was run by one man - Shambra - from his high-rise office on South Grand Street. Shambra, a former teacher, had unheard-of freedom to operate as director of planning and development position. District officials are hard-pressed to provide documents about his projects, or to explain what his duties were. ``I did the out-of-the-ordinary, not the run-of-the-mill, facilities,'' he said. When state funding dried up, Shambra began to plan innovative ``special projects'' - joint ventures with private developers to build schools, office space, retail shops and housing on the same property. The board agreed to give profits from the ventures directly to Shambra's department. He said he spent the money, in part, to pay for consultants, including his girlfriend, Betty Hanson. ``They never gave me a budget, the money just floated in and out.'' By the late 1980s, thousands of students, mostly new immigrants, were being bused to the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. from overcrowded downtown schools. Shambra's team turned to the Mid-Wilshire area, where there was some of the most severe crowding, and found the 23.5-acre Ambassador Hotel property. His plan called for a school on the back 17 acres, with a public-private commercial development along Wilshire Boulevard Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for H. Gaylord Wilshire (1861-1927), an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. . Hoping to stave off stave n. 1. A narrow strip of wood forming part of the sides of a barrel, tub, or similar structure. 2. A rung of a ladder or chair. 3. A staff or cudgel. 4. Music See staff1. a bidding war, and realizing it would be controversial for a school to launch a commercial venture, the district's initial probes in 1986 were so secret that they referred to the Ambassador plans as ``Project X.'' When word finally got out, a public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most campaign, including Meet the Superintendent luncheons, was launched. When no deal was reached with the Ambassador's owners, the district used its power of eminent domain eminent domain, the right of a government to force the owner of private property sell it if it is needed for a public use. The right is based on the doctrine that a sovereign state has dominion over all lands and buildings within its borders, which has its origins in to condemn the property, leading to a court fight. Stalled in court, officials turned to available land downtown - enough for a school as well as a joint commercial venture. So was born the Belmont dream, bigger than any that came before. There would be retail stores, recreation facilities, affordable housing - most of it pipe dreams, the school itself in trouble. The Ambassador site remains in limbo limbo In Roman Catholicism, a region between heaven and hell, the dwelling place of souls not condemned to punishment but deprived of the joy of existence with God in heaven. The concept probably developed in the Middle Ages. . A judge ruled the district could get its $43.5 million deposit back but would face a suit for damages. And the buses still run thousands of kids to faraway far·a·way adj. 1. Very distant; remote. 2. Abstracted; dreamy: a faraway look. faraway Adjective 1. very distant 2. neighborhoods for school. ``But for the preoccupation with joint ventures on the site, the LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) could have legally acquired the Ambassador property eight years ago when the condemnation action condemnation action n. a lawsuit brought by a public agency to acquire private property for public purposes (schools, highways, parks, hospitals, redevelopment, civic buildings, for example), and a determination of the value to be paid. began,'' concluded a report from the state's Joint Legislative Audit Committee. ``By now, the LAUSD could have built the New Los Angeles High School Los Angeles High School, founded in 1873, is the oldest public high school in the Southern California Region and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its colors are blue and white and the teams are called the Romans. and perhaps even graduated two classes.'' In August 1989, the school board approved buying 11 acres at Temple and Beaudry for a junior high school. The action came despite protests from the Division of Oil and Gas and Bruce Manley of Manley Oil, the company that once owned the land, that the former oil field should not be used as a school site. Richard Baker Richard Baker is the name of several well-known people, including:
The Division of Oil and Gas would repeat its concerns for years. In 1992, the State Allocation Board, which grants construction money to districts, echoed the warnings, calling the site ``highly questionable, if not inappropriate'' for a school. It required the district to clean up the site prior to disbursement DISBURSEMENT. Literally, to take money out of a purse. Figuratively, to pay out money; to expend money; and sometimes it signifies to advance money. 2. of funds. Shambra, in a 1997 deposition for the Ambassador court battle, said the district referred to the oil-drenched Temple-Beaudry property as the ``Exxon Valdez'' site. In his view, the abandoned oil wells were ``not considered toxic'' and ``not hazardous.'' ``I don't think they had any concern about environmental issues,'' said Wildman, chairman of the state's Joint Legislative Audit Committee. ``What has happened in that district is criminal.'' By 1993, the district had bought the 11 acres of Temple-Beaudry along with an adjoining 24 acres that became available when Tokyo-based Shimizu Corp. sold off its development properties in the recession. Pressure to buy Board members said they were put under enormous pressure to quickly buy the Shimizu land - for $30 million, $7 million below appraisals. Part of the pressure came from its own policy to avoid condemning homes for schools. ``It was decided we would rather deal with the complexities of a cleanup,'' said Leticia Quezada, a former board member who had voted against the deal. ``On several occasions I did not get satisfactory answers. It made me uneasy. I was criticized by fellow board members because of all the kids on the bus. It was really a hard decision.'' Castro said staff members made it clear: act fast or lose the deal. ``I had no knowledge of the problems there, I went along with staff's recommendations,'' Castro said. ``I wanted very much to bring a high school to the area.'' On the advice of outside attorney David Cartwright, who remains as an LAUSD consultant on other projects despite his Belmont role, the LAUSD decided against doing an environmental impact report and opted to draft a less-intensive ``negative declaration.'' The district asked Shimizu to perform quick testing of the site, in which they analyzed only two small areas on the property. The district argued at the time that it had identified all potential risks and mitigated them. In April 1994, Robert Niccum, the district's real estate manager, criticized the study, saying it ``fell far short'' of what was needed. Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, Shambra still argues the 24 acres are safe, with contamination limited to the 11-acre portion where no classrooms are planned. His view was backed in November 1996 by Alan Spivak, vice president of Intera, a geological and petroleum engineering firm that was hired by the district. ``It's well understood, and it's just a matter of doing the right thing to ensure safety and cost effectiveness'' Spivak told the board before it approved a critical environmental report. Baker, the state Oil and Gas official, said he could not guarantee that a school would be safe. ``We make no warranties.'' Safety team members now say the 24 acres are full of oil wells, with hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. of contamination as well as methane gas. Most of the 11 acres and all of the 24 acres were purchased ``as is,'' with the district, not the seller, becoming liable for toxic cleanup. Wildman and others point out that the district's contract with Kajima is as troubling. Although the deal was sold as a ``guaranteed maximum price'' Kajima bills the district extra for any toxic cleanup, as well as for the time it stops construction to do the environmental work. ``The district had to cover all environmental problems at the site. How could the district agree to that when they didn't know what the problems were?'' Wildman said. Neither Cartwright, who wrote the contract, nor Kajima officials could be reached for comment. Political problems In a 1994 letter to LAUSD attorney Richard Mason Richard Mason may refer to:
He was referring to City Councilman Mike Hernandez, who wanted the housing component, and state Sen. Richard Polanco Richard G. Polanco, is a former California State Senate Majority leader and member of the California State Assembly. He is known for his significant efforts in increasing Latino representation in the California Legislature. , who wanted the Ambassador site. As one of his ``value-added services A value-added service (VAS) is a telecommunications industry term for non-core services or, in short, all services beyond standard voice calls and fax transmissions. ,'' Cartwright notes that his negotiations with Shimizu yielded a ``contribution to Councilman Hernandez Boys' Club project.'' Tony Perez, a spokesman for Hernandez, said the councilman does not remember any such contribution, and Hernandez ``has no idea why (Cartwright) would invoke his name in that manner.'' Cartwright did not return phone calls. One of the strongest sources of opposition to the project was unions, especially the Hotel Employee & Restaurant Employees Union Local 11. The union objects to Belmont's contractor, Kajima International. Kajima's parent company has fought against unionization of workers at its New Otani The New Otani is a chain of hotels, with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. The main hotel in Tokyo opened in 1964, to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics of that year, and is known for the revolving restaurant atop the hotel, along with the New Otani Art Museum located on its sixth floor. Hotel in Little Tokyo. With so much at stake, players on both sides said the fight has become uncommonly nasty. Shambra believes his phone has been tapped, and that he has been followed. ``People just knew a whole lot about everything,'' Shambra said. Castro, Shambra and many others have said that they believed the criticisms - including warnings of environmental problems - stemmed from the union and other politica Politica is the undergraduate journal of the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Politica solicits original student essays on topics broadly political. `l battles. Polanco blames the LAUSD staff for the fiasco. ``The tragedy is that in the end, kids may not get a new school,'' said Bill Mabie, spokesman for Polanco. ``Some people had an adult agenda and it wasn't about meeting the needs of kids in the school district.'' BELMONT'S HISTORY August 1986 - LAUSD becomes interested in historic Ambassador Hotel, a 23.5 acre site (AH), in the hope of developing commercial buildings on its strip. At the time, state law prohibits school districts from acquiring more land than needed for a school. November 1988 - The state's Division of Oil and Gas (DOG), in a letter to the cit of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , details the environmental dangers in the Temple/Beaudry area. (TB) August 1989 - When LAUSD's plans for TB are discovered, an official from DOG warns of danger in building on old oil wells. Warnings and protests continue over the next few years. August 1989 - Board of Education approves pursuing land acquisition of 11 acres at TB for a junior high school. November 1989 - Bidding for joint development, the school district is rejected by Wilshire Center Partners, the new owners of AH. April 1990 - LAUSD offers Ambassador Associates $73 million for the entire 23.5 acres of AH and threatens to take 17 acres through condemnation. Ambassador Associates refuses. May 1990 - District receives an environmental report on TB. It details the possibilioty of explosion hazards; exposure to hydrocarbon gases, soil contamination Soil contamination is the presence of man-made chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. This type of contamination typically arises from the rupture of underground storage tanks, application of pesticides, percolation of contaminated surface water to and underground gasoline tanks. June 1990 - Board of Education passes resolution to seize the 17 acres of AH through eminent domain. November 1990 - Board of Education officially begins the long process of design and cost estimates for the TB, though no purchase is made. August 1992 - A State Allocation Board staff report calls TB ``highly questionable if not appropriate for a school.'' Despite concerns, the SAB SAB Spontaneous abortion. See Abortion. approves $30 million for the land but requires the district to clean the site before mone`y is disbursed. December 1992 - After the local real estate market collapses, Shimizu Corporation Shimizu Corporation (清水建設株式会社 offers for sale the 24 acres (SH) adjoining TB. Combined acreage of the two sites: 35 acres. District considers using combined site for high school-retail-housing development. March 1993 - The district decides to use $31 million intended to air condition San Fernando Valley schools to purchase TB. September 1993 - Board authorizes the land purchase of SH, without extensive environmental testing. October 1993 - The state agrees to let the LAUSD use the money once approved to buy AH. The Belmont Learning Center idea is launched. The district eventually pushes through legislation to allow state funding for private/public ventures. - District abandons condemnation proceedings against AH. - The LAUSD purchases the majority of TB ``as is,'' requiring no clean up. December 1993 - Board votes 6-1 to buy SH ``as is with faults.'' February 1994 - The district learns that the state will not paypay for SH unless soil tests are done. Two small areas are tested. The state approves $30 million for SH, without discussion. March 1994 - District official reviewing the Shimizu testing notes that the report ``fell far short of examining and reporting on matters that the district would have required of a consultant.'' September 1995 - Board chooses Temple Beaudry Partners/Kajima as the developer, without competitive bidding Competitive bidding A securities offering process in which securities firms submit competing bids to the issuer for the securities the issuer wishes to sell. competitive bidding 1. . February 1997 - Behind closed doors, the Board of Education decides to put off a vote to approve construction on Belmont in face of union opposition and threats to drop support of the $2.4 billion school repair bond measure - Prop. BB. The district does not want their intention to fund Belmont with BB money to be revealed before the April bond referendum. March 1997 - The Los Angeles City Fire Department is informed by the district of high levels of methane gas found on TB. Also, underground storgae tanks are found in unpredicted locations and eviden`ce of widespread soil contamination is found. April 1997 - Voters approve Proposition BB to repair and modernize schools. April 1997 - Board votes to use $43.5 million in BB funds to pay for half of Belmont's construction costs, inciting voter outrage. The action prompts the local teachers union and hotel employees union to file suit to stop the deal. April 1997 - Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Diane Wayne rules that the district must get approval from the citizens oversight committee if BB funds are used. April 1997 - LAUSD Board of Education approves the construction of the Belmont Learning Center. One board member complains that they ``signed a blank check Blank check A check that is duly signed, but the amount of the check is left blank to be supplied by the drawee. contract'' with developer Kajima. June 1997 - Citizens oversight panel votes against using BB money for the school. July 1997 - Groundbreaking ceremony at Belmont Learning Center is held without needed building permits. Union officials call the project a ``renegade operation.'' October 1997 - Board approves using money from the district's general fund for Belmont. November 1997 - The state's Joint Legislative Audit Committee begins full-scale investigation into Belmont. SOURCE: Daily News research CAPTION(S): 3 Photos, Box, Map PHOTO (1) Oil wells teem teem 1 v. teemed, teem·ing, teems v.intr. 1. To be full of things; abound or swarm: A drop of water teems with microorganisms. 2. along First Street in the early 1900s, above. Photo courtesy of Seaver Center for Western History research (2--Color) At left, Bernard Endres and Patricia McPherson Patricia McPherson (Born November 27,1954 in Oak Harbor, Washington, U.S.) is an American actress. She is well known for her role in the 1980s hit TV series Knight Rider as Bonnie Barstow, KITT's mechanic from 1982-1983. film the drilling's legacy - gasses seeping from the ground at the Belmont project. John Lazar/Daily News (3--Color) Belmont's incomplete shell rises behind a patch of dirt planned for a football field. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Daily News BOX: BELMONT`S HISTORY (see text) MAP: (Color) Ambassador Hotel (23.5 acres), Shimizu (24 acres) and Temple/Beaudry (11 acres) properties Bradford Mar/Daily News |
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