If you’re buying or selling near Biola University’s campus, the immediate question is whether La Mirada is approving an expansion. The October 27 agenda item asks for an environmental peer review agreement. The campus master plan amendment itself remains proposed.
On the La Mirada City Council’s October 27, 2026 agenda, consent calendar item 7.6 asks the council to approve a $49,345 professional services agreement with Eyestone Environmental for a peer review of the draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the Biola University Master Plan amendment. The outcome of that vote was not known when this was written on October 27, 2026. The master plan amendment itself has not been approved; the staff report describes it as a proposed amendment still in environmental review, with public hearings (Planning Commission and City Council) still ahead. No hearing dates are given in the source.
That distinction matters when you read an agenda headline. Approval of the consultant agreement would address the review work described in the City of La Mirada staff report. It would not approve the proposed campus amendment.
What would the campus amendment allow?
The proposed amendment would allow demolition and reconstruction, with a net increase of 128,868 gross square feet above the development allowed under the 2012 Master Plan.
Biola requested the amendment in 2023. The staff report describes its purpose as better serving the maximum permitted enrollment, improving the faculty-to-student ratio, and supporting athletics and specialized instructional space.
The university is not proposing to increase the maximum permitted enrollment of 6,800 full-time equivalent students, or FTE students.
The report does not say which buildings would be demolished or built, or where. If those details matter to your property decision, ask the Community Development Department where you can find them in the proposal and environmental review materials.
If you are weighing a sale while the review is pending, see the cost to sell a house in California.
What does the existing master plan allow?
The 2012 Master Plan allows a total of 1,041,103 square feet of campus facilities and a maximum enrollment of 6,800 FTE students.
Before that plan, enrollment was capped at 5,000 FTE students. The 2012 plan also increased faculty and staff from 924 to approximately 1,257.
Biola has operated in La Mirada since 1959. Its 95-acre campus includes more than 1 million square feet of building space across 40 major buildings, according to the staff report.
Keep the comparison straight: the proposed 128,868 gross square feet is a net increase above the development allowed under the 2012 plan. Read it against that approved allowance when reviewing the amendment.
What is the council being asked to fund?
The council is being asked to approve $49,345 for Eyestone Environmental’s independent peer review, including reimbursable expenses.
Staff also asks for authority to approve additional costs up to one fifth of that amount. Eyestone anticipates completing the project in approximately five months. That is the consultant’s anticipated work period, not a hearing date or an approval date.
The city issued a request for proposals for the peer review on June 18, 2026. Five proposals ranged from $49,345 to $95,962, and Eyestone was the preferred consultant.
Phil Martin and Associates had already submitted draft versions of the IS/MND and technical studies but was unable to complete the environmental review process through entitlements. The October agenda request concerns an independent review of that environmental work.
What will the environmental reviewer examine?
Eyestone would evaluate the environmental analysis for adequacy, accuracy, and legal defensibility under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA.
A Mitigated Negative Declaration is the CEQA document the city is using for this project. The proposed scope includes the IS/MND and checklist, mitigation measures, and transportation, air quality, and noise studies.
It also includes preparing a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program, reviewing public comments and draft responses, and reviewing CEQA notices and public noticing. A final memorandum would assess whether the IS/MND supports informed decision-making by the Planning Commission and City Council.
For you, those named studies are the documents to watch. The staff report identifies their subjects; it does not establish what the proposed amendment would do to traffic, noise, or home values.
When can you comment on the proposal?
The source gives no hearing dates, so ask the Community Development Department how to receive notice and submit comments.
The proposed review scope includes public comments, responses, notices, and in-person support at up to two public hearings. Planning Commission and City Council hearings remain ahead. The staff report does not say the IS/MND has been released for public comment.
Land-use decisions near a home are set at public hearings; Insider’s guide to Lakewood church-site rezoning shows another nearby city’s land-use change.
When you buy, the seller’s natural hazard disclosure covers hazard zones, not pending campus plans; read what an NHD report covers.
Biola’s campus plan had several projects on one map, which made it look to A. as though all of them were about to be built. She lives near the university and wanted to understand what Biola was actually asking La Mirada to approve. We went through the difference between a long-range campus master plan and the timing of individual construction projects. That distinction helped her focus on the proposed land-use framework, while still leaving room to ask when particular buildings or changes might return for more detailed review.
For agenda questions, call the City Clerk’s office at (562) 943-0131. You can also follow the city agenda portal and city website.
Is the new film studio part of this amendment?
The sources do not say whether the new film studio is part of the proposed master plan amendment.
The La Mirada Lamplighter reports that Biola dedicated a new film studio building on its campus on October 15, 2026. The outlet describes it as three stories and 45,463 square feet.
Keep that completed building news separate from the pending amendment. If you’re trying to connect the two, ask the Community Development Department whether the studio is included in the amendment materials.
The short version
Biola is proposing additional campus development, while the October 27 agenda item concerns an agreement to review the draft environmental analysis.
The amendment has not been approved. Watch for public notices, ask how to comment, and read the transportation, air quality, and noise studies when released for review.
This guide is educational, not legal or tax advice.
For a separate look at your property, use the home value tool.
Common questions
Has La Mirada approved the Biola University Master Plan amendment?
No. The amendment remains proposed and in environmental review, with Planning Commission and City Council hearings still ahead. The source gives no hearing dates.
Is Biola proposing a higher enrollment limit?
No. The university is not proposing to increase the maximum permitted enrollment of 6,800 full-time equivalent students.
What does the October 27, 2026 agenda item ask the council to approve?
Item 7.6 asks for approval of a $49,345 professional services agreement with Eyestone Environmental to peer review the draft Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration. The vote outcome was not known when this was written.
How can you follow the proposal or submit comments?
Ask the Community Development Department how to receive public notices and submit comments. For agenda questions, contact the City Clerk's office at (562) 943-0131.
