Appeals Court Blocks Campus Expansion

The state Court of Appeal has ruled that Soka University may not expand its Calabasas campus in the Santa Monica Mountains.

The Buddhist school proposed to increase its building area from 119,500 to 440,000 square feet and more than double student enrollment to 650. That would have required a change in zoning ordinances.

"We are exhilarated about this outcome," said Frank Angel, an attorney for the Sierra Club. "This is a very environmentally sensitive area."