Rio Hondo College News

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3600 Workman Mill Road / Whittier, CA 90601 / 562-692-0921
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Merle Enriquez   Secretary
Department: Planning and Development
Phone:  (562) 692-0921  Ext. 3412
Rio E-Mail: MEnriquez@riohondo.edu


Article published: Friday, February 17, 2006
Whittier Daily News and San Gabriel Valley Tribune

College parking facility at issue Plan for Rio Hondo structure uncertain
By Tracy Garcia Staff Writer

WHITTIER - Citing rising construction costs, officials overseeing plans for a massive campus modernization program at Rio Hondo College have recommended eliminating a parking structure.

However, the college's Board of Trustees rejected the proposal and asked staffers to rework their recommendation.

Officials had initially hoped to build a parking structure near the college's new library and learning resource center, which is scheduled for groundbreaking this fall. Now, it is unclear how many parking structures will be built, or where, officials said Thursday.

Building new parking facilities was a stated goal of Rio Hondo administrators and board members when officials pitched a $245 million bond measure for campus improvements. Voters approved Measure A in 2004.

Since then, officials have been working on plans for the upgrades, which will include constructing new buildings and renovating existing structures.

After rejecting the staff proposal, trustees reaffirmed their commitment to increasing parking availability at the hillside campus, calling it one of the "most pressing" issues facing Rio Hondo.

"We haven't made a final recommendation on which ones we're going to build, but the parking structures are going to be part of the mix," said Andy Howard, executive director for planning and development.

"We're also looking at ways to increase student access to public transportation, and we hope that will ease the parking problems as well," Howard said.

Board President Gary Mendez said he feels strongly about creating not just more parking to Rio Hondo but more convenient parking. The campus has lots of parking spaces but many are in "inconvenient areas," he added.

"People have told me they want better parking and we're going to reinforce that," Mendez said. "This board is reinforcing the original message we sold to voters for the bond, and that is that they want parking structures."

A revised recommendation, which will address parking, will be brought to the board in the next few months for final approval, Howard said.

Closer to construction is the $33 million Library and Learning Resource Center, which now is scheduled for a fall groundbreaking, making it the first project built with Measure A funds.

The center possibly will be followed by construction of a new central plant and maintenance facility, along with satellite campuses in El Monte and South Whittier.

Officials are now working closely with El Monte officials on the satellite campus project, Mendez said.

"We're working on that and hope to arrive at something concrete by summer," he said.

"In South Whittier, we're happy about the direction we're going in. We've honed down what we want and we should hear something about this in the next month or two," he added.

Other projects officials hope to complete in the first phase of the building program at the college include a new access road, improvements to existing walkways, new student services and classroom buildings, and the renovation of existing buildings that house classrooms for technology, physical education, administration of justice and theater and fine arts.

-RHC-


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