Photo credit: Maya Wernick
Due to construction, cranes, bulldozers and forklifts have become a common sight on Archer’s campus, as pictured here among the palm trees. Archer is currently building a new academic center, while Brentwood School has begun the first stage of construction on their West Campus.
Like a good neighbor?: Archer, Brentwood School construction plans reveal unequal treatment
May 12, 2018
Unanswered emails, phone calls and questions seem to be the theme of the investigation into discrepancies between the construction plans of The Archer School for Girls and Brentwood School.
The neighboring schools have recently both begun construction plans to expand and advance their respective campuses. Archer’s plan was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in Aug. 2015. The goal was to build a new academic center, a visual arts center, a performance space for theater and dance and a multipurpose space that includes a gym.
Archer was given three years to complete all construction. Archer broke ground on the academic center in December 2017, but due to lawsuits from neighbors and leaders of the Sunset Coalition and David and Zofia Wright, Archer’s Board of Trustees voted to postpone the building of the athletic center. The lawsuits revolve around the dirt haul route for Archer’s construction.
![](https://archeroracle.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FINALLLL.jpg)
After multiple emails, The Sunset Coalition did not respond for an opportunity to comment.
“As fiduciaries of the school, [the Board of Trustees] determined it would be imprudent to proceed with the excavation while in litigation. Further, the extraordinary cost escalations associated with the unprecedented nature of the entitlements, ongoing litigation, and a 36-month construction time constraint imposed on us by the City has rendered the project beyond our present funding capacity,” Head of School Elizabeth English wrote in an email to the Archer community.
However, according to English, the construction of Archer’s academic center is still on schedule to be completed during spring 2019.
Meanwhile, Brentwood School’s plan was approved by the Los Angeles City Council in Feb. 2017 — a year and a half after Archer’s approval. According to Brentwood Assistant Head of School Gennifer Yoshimaru in an email, the 24-year plan includes building a new middle school on the East Campus, upgrading existing facilities and constructing, replacing and eliminating buildings on the West Campus.
Brentwood School will be taking multiple year-long breaks between phases of construction, unlike Archer.
When asked about the differences in restrictions between the plans, Yoshimaru said that she “cannot speak to the differences between the two as [she is] only familiar with Brentwood’s 30-year Education Master Plan.”
However, the differences between the plans do not end with the respective construction timelines.
For example and as seen to the right and here, Brentwood School will add 195 more parking spaces to their campuses, which is an 86 percent increase in parking, Whereas Archer is adding 55 more, a 50 percent increase, according to public record.
Currently, due to construction, there is zero parking on Archer’s campus for faculty, students or visiting guests and parents. 100 percent of Archer students are required to take the bus to school or travel in a carpool with three or more students. Meanwhile, 40 percent of Brentwood School students are required to come via bus, leaving 60 percent allowed to be dropped off as single riders or parkers.
Brentwood School can also count up to 15 percent of their number as students being bussed to other schools along Sunset Boulevard, west of the 405 freeway, according to public record, Brentwood School’s Conditions of Approval document. Additional differences span manifold subjects and vary in their extremity.
According to English, Archer is faced with so many restrictions because neighbors are concerned about the increase in traffic.
“[Throughout the process], our neighbors the whole time [have been] saying this is about traffic, this is about traffic, the traffic is unbearable, Archer is going to make the traffic worse. So we said, well if this really is about traffic, then you should hold any other school that comes up for a project or for an approval to the same standard that Archer was held to,” English said. “[Mike Bonin] promised that to Archer and to the Board of Trustees. Clearly, that didn’t happen.”
Mike Bonin, a councilmember from the 11th district of Los Angeles, where both Archer and Brentwood School are located, was a major part of the approval for both schools’ construction plans and conditional use permits [CUPs].
Both schools completed thorough environmental impact reports, which outlined specific details of their plans and the influence the construction will have on the surrounding community. Archer and Brentwood School’s reports, or EIRs, can be found here and here respectively.
In addition, both schools worked closely with Bonin to get their individual plans approved.
“We worked actively with Councilman Bonin and the Brentwood Community Council for close to two years to create tough standards that would meet expectations about traffic reduction,” Yoshimaru said. “[Brentwood School spent] eight years working with homeowners, neighbors and neighborhood associations to successfully negotiate a renewed covenant…The legally binding covenant and side letter, signed in 2014, culminated an eight-year process with our closest neighbors and with the Brentwood Homeowners Association.”
President of the Brentwood Homeowner’s Association Ray Klein did not respond to a request for a phone interview.
Brentwood School was also given restrictions on their construction processes, although different than Archer’s.
“When we were given such an extreme set of circumstances, for example, build an entire campus — a $120 million dollar project — in 36 months, we were given no other choice. It was take it or leave it,” English said. “We said to Councilman Mike Bonin, ‘This is so extreme. No other school has ever been asked to do this or operate their school with these kinds of restrictions.’ I said, ‘If we agree to this, you have to promise that you will hold [every] other school on the Sunset Corridor to the same standard.'”
Bonin did not comment on the subject despite several phone calls and emails to his office. Tricia Keane, Bonin’s Deputy Chief of Staff, said in an email that she was “unfortunately” unable to comment on the subject “due to litigation.”
When asked if she had any additional comments on the differences in restrictions between the two schools or on the construction process in general, Yoshimaru responded with a simple “No.”
English, on the other hand, described the differences in restrictions as “completely disparate impact.”
“In the age of #MeToo and Time’s Up, it’s hard to believe that any thinking person would attribute this disparity in conditions to anything other than sexism. The numbers are plain and the disparity extreme,” English wrote. “While the nature of CEQA can contribute to such disparities, it is up to the City leadership and planning departments to ensure they do not occur. However, when the City cedes its authority to neighbors and homeowner’s associations, especially in white, affluent communities, they allow racism, sexism, ageism and other injustices to rule. The outcome speaks for itself.”
Yoshimaru, who only discussed Brentwood School’s plan, said that the requirements set forth in their CUP are the product of a very thorough process.
“While they challenge us in many ways, we will live up to the expectations,” Yoshimaru wrote in an email interview.
However, English believes that “this is the story of being a woman, unfortunately.”
“Right now, the bar is set higher for us, and it always has been for women,” English said, “We are going to jump over it, but it shouldn’t be this way. And that’s what we are trying to change at Archer for the next generation.”
As Yoshimaru pointed out, “Archer and Brentwood are both excellent schools with strong leadership, a compelling mission and a bright future.”
However, this information, or lack thereof, on the differences between each construction plan raises questions about the real reason for the discrepancies.
Judith Khneysser • May 18, 2018 at 7:18 pm
So insightful and well written – thank you! Have you thought about asking the Brentwood News editor Jeff Hall to publish it in next month’s edition?
Gabriel Mann • May 18, 2018 at 6:44 pm
Hear hear, Maya. The imbalanced treatment of these two schools is reprehensible, and I can only wonder what unseemly forces are at work here behind the scenes. I hope you continue to expose this complete and utter (for lack of a better term) bulls***.
Noa Diamond • May 16, 2018 at 10:14 am
Wow Maya. This is very well written and a great exposé on the injustices Archer faces being an all girl school.
Sarah Wagner • May 14, 2018 at 10:20 am
An excellent journalistic piece! Proud of the quality work the Oracle is producing. Your use of that infographic really highlights the vast disparity between the two plans. Great work.
Fariba rouzroch • May 13, 2018 at 10:52 pm
Maya joon what an eye opening article! Amazing job! What a true journalist you are incredible this article is shocking
Danielle Roberts • May 13, 2018 at 5:19 pm
It was more frustrating when your school is being blamed for all the traffic and complaints of construction when Brentwood, across the street, is so much bigger. It’s more frustrating now because I didn’t know of all the differences within the two schools like sporting events etc. I’m glad you wrote about this and specifically stated the differences most people are not aware of. Thanks Maya!
Josie • May 13, 2018 at 5:07 pm
amazing maya! thank you so much for this article it really brings to light the inequalities
Bobbie Clark • May 13, 2018 at 4:07 pm
Only by continuing to speak out as Maya has done in this and other articles will there be hope for future generations of women to come out equal (or ahead). Archer will succeed by showing the amazing women they are sending out into the world.
Lexie Ben-Meir • May 13, 2018 at 2:18 pm
Maya, this is incredible! Thank you so much for sharing these enlightening discrepancies with the community.
Eloise Rollins-Fife • May 13, 2018 at 1:55 pm
It’s articles like this that make me proud to be an Oracle alum! Great work Maya– beautifully written and important to talk about.
Marla • May 13, 2018 at 1:48 pm
Excellent article Maya! As a parent I’m appalled at the extreme imbalance between the approvals, permissions and restrictions of both projects. It’s disgusting that these few neighboring families have turned litigation into sport and the target of their aggression are girls aged 11-18yrs. Shame on them!
Sara Friedman • May 13, 2018 at 12:11 pm
Maya Wernick! This article truly pinpoints the unequality that many are blind to. Thank you so much for always making your voice heard and for being such a strong, genuine force.
Sara Friedman • May 13, 2018 at 3:00 pm
Meant inequality! Oh spellcheck
Courtney W • May 13, 2018 at 11:15 am
This is infuriating! Thank you so much for revealing the differences so clearly.
Anna Allgeyer • May 13, 2018 at 1:00 am
Maya, your journalism never ceases to amaze me! Thank you so much for continuing to spread awareness about this disparity and demand that the facts be heard.