In an effort to further its expansion plans in agreement with nearby neighbors, St. Mary’s College High, a private Catholic college preparatory high school in North Berkeley, California, has entered into mediation to discuss adding to, and renovating, its campus.  After five public hearings and the same number of mediation sessions, the school now has the ‘go-ahead’ for the additions and renovations. 

Plans for renovation include the construction of a new 13,400-square-foot music building; construction of a new single-story, 4,400-square-foot campus chapel; and an addition to St. Joseph’s Hall, which will include 14,000 square feet of additional library, classroom and office space.

The dispute over the 12.5-acre school’s additions and renovations resulted from the close proximity of almost 100 homes located around the campus.  According to neighbors, the foot and car traffic of the approximately 600 students who attend St. Mary’s causes congestion problems within the small residential area.  Additionally, while the school’s address is a North Berkeley address, the campus is actually in Albany, thus the Albany Planning and Zoning Commission was responsible for approving the renovation and building plans.

Vivian Kahn, who is a planning consultant to the school, stated that the new construction will not begin until summer of 2014; and even then, the projects could take 10-15 years to reach completion.  Although she and the school’s administration were “thrilled that the planning commission approved” their plans, she anticipates that the neighborhood group concerned with how the construction and renovation will affect traffic in the area is going to attempt to appeal the approval.  This is even after mediation resulted in St. Mary’s agreement to pay $25,000 for a traffic consultant.