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CHAMLIAN GYMNASIUM ARGUMENTS HEARD AT CITY COUNCIL MEETING
By Cassandra Morris
Montrose Patch
http://montrose.patch.com/articles/chamlian-gymnasium-arguments-heard-at-city-council-meeting
June 1 2011
CA
The City Council listened to nearly three hours of public comments
about the Chamlian Armenian School gymnasium.
Over 150 people attended the public hearing regarding the Chamlian
Armenian School gymnasium on Tuesday. After nearly three hours, the
City Council unanimously approved the construction, overturning the
Planning Commission's January decision.
Here are some of the remarks heard by the council:
In Favor of the Gymnasium
"We get hurt when we play on the asphalt... Having a gym has been a
dream for most of us."
-Armen Baghdasarian, Chamlian Armenian School 6th grader and volleyball
player
"...We take our physical education program very seriously. Chamlian
students have two class periods of P.E. each week. We have a
structured program that encourages regular exercise, speed,
coordination, teamwork, strength and endurance. Sports include
basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, flag football track and
field, jump rope,table tennis and simplified softball. Our students
participate in the Physical Fitness Presidential Challenge program
which encourages active and healthy lifestyles.
"However, as you might imagine, it becomes extremely challenging or
our PE coaches to run a strong program when they have to deal with
inadequate facilities and cancellation of classes due to poor weather
conditions. Building a gym would no doubt alleviate all these issues
and help us to continue providing our students with a well rounded
postive educational experience at Chamlian."
-Annette Baghdasarian, Chamlian Armenian School Academic Director
"Some of our neighbors are concerned about the possiblity that we may
use the proposed gym to hold sports tournaments on our school grounds.
I would like to assure you... that will not be the case.
Quite honestly, it is illogical that we would be willing to spend
over $1 million to build a gym just so we could hold two to three
tournaments on our campus once a year. It should be obvious by now
that our only purpose for this project is to enhance our daily physical
education classes for our students."
-Vazken Madenlian, Chamlian Armenian School Principal
"The difficulty I deal with at school is trying to play any sport
on asphalt. I can't say how many times I've skinned my knees or gone
injured because we don't have a gym to safely play games. Instead we
have asphalt."
Our teams suffer because we can't practice in bad weather... it would
be nice to practice in a gym."
-7th grade Chamlian Armenian School soccer player
Against the Gymnasium
"The zoning has not changed but the school has. Lowell Elementary
was a benefit to the surrounding neighborhood as a local school. It
is a much different place now, with added new buildings and many
more students after many generous variances for building, reduced
parking and increased enrollment.... It is no longer a benefit to
the surrounding neighborhood.
Chamlian is a commuter school... Lowell Ave is clogged twice a day
from drop off and pick up. Now Chamlian wants to build a large gym
on an already overbuilt property."
-Rick Larson, Second Ave. resident
"The council needs to consider the needs of the community versus the
values of a private group."
-Thomas Hall, Abella St. resident
"Respect our neighborhood in spite of the politics, please."
-Steve Johnson, neighborhood resident
"I don't want this big monster standing above us. The school has
done well without it and it can continue. We have a lot of traffic
problems in our neighborhood because of the school. There's gridlock
when I come home from work."
-Neighborhood resident
Maria Muriello, a Dilbeck realtor, described having to disclose the
gymnasium construction to a recent buyer interested in a home on
Second Ave. "That's a hard disclosure to make," she said.
By Cassandra Morris
Montrose Patch
http://montrose.patch.com/articles/chamlian-gymnasium-arguments-heard-at-city-council-meeting
June 1 2011
CA
The City Council listened to nearly three hours of public comments
about the Chamlian Armenian School gymnasium.
Over 150 people attended the public hearing regarding the Chamlian
Armenian School gymnasium on Tuesday. After nearly three hours, the
City Council unanimously approved the construction, overturning the
Planning Commission's January decision.
Here are some of the remarks heard by the council:
In Favor of the Gymnasium
"We get hurt when we play on the asphalt... Having a gym has been a
dream for most of us."
-Armen Baghdasarian, Chamlian Armenian School 6th grader and volleyball
player
"...We take our physical education program very seriously. Chamlian
students have two class periods of P.E. each week. We have a
structured program that encourages regular exercise, speed,
coordination, teamwork, strength and endurance. Sports include
basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, flag football track and
field, jump rope,table tennis and simplified softball. Our students
participate in the Physical Fitness Presidential Challenge program
which encourages active and healthy lifestyles.
"However, as you might imagine, it becomes extremely challenging or
our PE coaches to run a strong program when they have to deal with
inadequate facilities and cancellation of classes due to poor weather
conditions. Building a gym would no doubt alleviate all these issues
and help us to continue providing our students with a well rounded
postive educational experience at Chamlian."
-Annette Baghdasarian, Chamlian Armenian School Academic Director
"Some of our neighbors are concerned about the possiblity that we may
use the proposed gym to hold sports tournaments on our school grounds.
I would like to assure you... that will not be the case.
Quite honestly, it is illogical that we would be willing to spend
over $1 million to build a gym just so we could hold two to three
tournaments on our campus once a year. It should be obvious by now
that our only purpose for this project is to enhance our daily physical
education classes for our students."
-Vazken Madenlian, Chamlian Armenian School Principal
"The difficulty I deal with at school is trying to play any sport
on asphalt. I can't say how many times I've skinned my knees or gone
injured because we don't have a gym to safely play games. Instead we
have asphalt."
Our teams suffer because we can't practice in bad weather... it would
be nice to practice in a gym."
-7th grade Chamlian Armenian School soccer player
Against the Gymnasium
"The zoning has not changed but the school has. Lowell Elementary
was a benefit to the surrounding neighborhood as a local school. It
is a much different place now, with added new buildings and many
more students after many generous variances for building, reduced
parking and increased enrollment.... It is no longer a benefit to
the surrounding neighborhood.
Chamlian is a commuter school... Lowell Ave is clogged twice a day
from drop off and pick up. Now Chamlian wants to build a large gym
on an already overbuilt property."
-Rick Larson, Second Ave. resident
"The council needs to consider the needs of the community versus the
values of a private group."
-Thomas Hall, Abella St. resident
"Respect our neighborhood in spite of the politics, please."
-Steve Johnson, neighborhood resident
"I don't want this big monster standing above us. The school has
done well without it and it can continue. We have a lot of traffic
problems in our neighborhood because of the school. There's gridlock
when I come home from work."
-Neighborhood resident
Maria Muriello, a Dilbeck realtor, described having to disclose the
gymnasium construction to a recent buyer interested in a home on
Second Ave. "That's a hard disclosure to make," she said.