NEIGHBORS OPPOSE CAMPUS EXPANSION RESIDENTS FEAR PLAN WILL ADD NOISE, TRAFFIC.

Byline: Joseph Giordono Staff Writer

GRANADA HILLS - A private religious school that wants to boost enrollment by building a high school campus with 21 classrooms, an athletic field and gym has run into stiff community opposition.

Officials at Hillcrest Christian School and Church, at the corner of Rinaldi Street and Shoshone Avenue, said they are working with neighbors and understand their concerns about increased traffic and noise.

But with public comment on a draft environmental impact report due by Monday, residents say they still have major issues with the project.

``The school is already a headache for the neighborhood now, but now that they are looking to expand, it can only get worse,'' said Joy Ming, who lives on Mayerling Street just north of the school, which now serves 800 students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

``With all of the traffic and the increased pedestrian traffic, not to mention all the additional parking they will need, it's a nightmare.''

The school wants to increase its enrollment to 1,200 students and create a separate high school campus on the west side of Shoshone Avenue, across the street from its existing campus.

If approved by city planning officials, the high school campus would feature a 75,000-square-foot, two- and three-story education building with administrative offices, classrooms, gym and library.

Plans also call for a 114-space parking lot and outdoor basketball courts. The existing campus, meanwhile, would serve elementary school students.

While neighbors say they have no problem with expansion of schools to accommodate growing enrollment, some say Hillcrest is not the right site.

``I would be the first one to endorse the expansion of a school if there were ample space in which to expand and if it did not pose new problems and exacerbate existing ones,'' said Anthony Lewis, a resident of the neighborhood since 1982. ``The expansion of the Hillcrest Christian School is a profoundly horrible idea.''

But school officials defend the plan as a responsible solution to increased campus enrollment and as a way to spruce up the neighborhood.

The school has purchased three older houses where the new West Campus would be, and plan to replace them with the classroom building, practice fields and extensively landscaped open space.

``We have had several community meetings and we seek that input,'' said Rick Donnelly, Hillcrest's director of development. ``In fact, what we had originally envisioned has been substantially changed because of resident suggestions, even more than we had anticipated.''

Donnelly notes that all access to both campuses will be limited to Rinaldi Street, an already busy road that bisects the mostly residential neighborhood.

Traffic studies have been conducted with the aim of keeping traffic off Shoshone Avenue, which already has another private school just blocks away from Hillcrest.

``We have been getting both positive and negative comments, and every letter will be answered by the school,'' Donnelly said. ``We want to be sensitive and adjust our growth appropriately.''

Aides to Councilman Hal Bernson - whose district includes the school - said he has an open mind about the project, and has followed it since plans were first broached two years ago.

``We haven't really been that involved yet. As long as the school goes through the proper procedures, our position is that we will work with both the school and the community as they go through the permit process,'' said Ali Sar, Bernson's spokesman. ``We will see what is doable without impacting the character of the neighborhood.''

CAPTION(S):

photo, map

Photo:

Hillcrest Christian School in Granada Hills is hoping to boost enrollment from 800 to 1,200 students with its expansion plan.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

Map: Hillcrest Christian School

Proposed expansion site