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# College, citylook toturn corner
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/college-citylook-toturn-corner/
- Published: 2005-12-09T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T08:16:39.000Z
- Author: Ryan Hyatt
- Tags: Education, Santa Monica Airport, #archive-import

*SMC retains right to sue city for access*

SMC — Elected officials here hope a change in leadership, as well as other measures the school is taking will help soothe tense relations with City Hall.

Santa Monica College and City Hall, with a history of antagonism between them, have been close to litigation in recent months regarding vehicular access at SMC’s Bundy satellite campus, a 10.4-acre site, 3171 S. Bundy Dr.

The Bundy campus — which has been conducting classes since June — has been operating with locked gates, causing restricted vehicular access at the north end of the site. At present, traffic isn’t allowed at entrance and exit points along Airport Avenue.

City Hall’s decision to lock the gates and restrict vehicular access to Bundy was intended to limit campus-related traffic from traveling through Santa Monica neighborhoods, city officials said.

However, SMC officials con-tend City Hall’s move has been disruptive to college classes and dangerous for students. Many students are entering and exiting Bundy through a driveway located along the southern end of the campus, located in Los Angeles. The students are making risky left-hand turns out of the campus and into heavy traffic onto Bundy Drive, college officials said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl — whose jurisdiction includes areas around the Bundy campus — is trying to have a turn signal placed at the Bundy intersection. It may come as early as June, but it will likely not be ready in time for the second semester, officials said.

On Monday, Dr. Nancy Greenstein and Dr. Susan Aminoff were unanimously elected as chair and vice chair, respectively, of SMC’s board of trustees for 2006\. Their one-year terms, approved by their colleagues, began on Dec. 5.

Their nominations were intended, in part, to help improve relations with Santa Monica City Hall. Greenstein’s on good terms with several Santa Monica city councilmembers, and both Greenstein and Aminoff are generally regarded for their diplomatic approach to solving problems, college officials said.

In addition, SMC’s board of trustees on Monday also decided not to publicly discuss an agreement proposed by City Hall which would have granted students easier vehicular access to Bundy.

In order to gain an easier, and safer, temporary access route to Bundy campus from Santa Monica’s Airport Avenue — already regulated by a traffic light at the intersection of Bundy Drive — SMC would have to agree to not sue City Hall over the Bundy access issue, city officials said.

College officials said that was not a right they’re ready to relinquish. However, talks behind closed doors on Monday have led them to believe they can create a counter-proposal that will better facilitate the situation without litigation, according to Tom Donner, SMC’s interim president.

“The college staff has been working very closely, and well, with city staff so all parties can feel comfortable and step forward in what we would like to call a new day,” Donner said. “We’d like to have relationships based upon trust, not lawsuits, and the college is making every effort to make that happen.

“Likewise, I feel the feel city is making a good faith effort.”

While some believe SMC’s decision to withdrawal consideration of City Hall’s agreement may better posture itself for litigation against the city in the future, others say the college is being sincere.

“My understanding is the college had a productive discussion in closed session (on Monday), and I’d anticipate we’ll be receiving a written communication which we, in turn, will review in the council’s closed session on (Dec. 13),” said City Councilman Kevin McKeown. “The board and the council are still working together on a mutual solution to assure the safety of students.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 9, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/120905.pdf?ref=smdp.com)