Hearing Officer to Decide on Caltech Conditional Use Permit

The city hearing officer is expected to approve a conditional use permit modification request that would allow Caltech to demolish existing on-campus cooling towers.

The demolition would make way for new cooling towers at the location.

The cooling towers are part of the central plant facility located along Wilson Avenue, south of California Boulevard, and west of the campus athletic playing field.

The hearing is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“According to the applicant, the existing cooling towers were built in 1973 and are deteriorating,” according to a city staff report. “They are past their useful life and are not constructed to any seismic rating. The Central Plant serves most of the Caltech facilities on its campus, as such upgrading the cooling towers is critical in order to provide sufficient energy to support Caltech’s academic and research programs and to improve sustainability.”

The proposal has been reviewed by several other city departments, including the Public Works, Transportation, and Fire departments. The proposal has also been reviewed by the Building and Safety Division, and the Design and Historic Preservation Section. 

The Design and Historic Preservation Section determined that the new cooling tower structure consists of enclosure walls, is not considered a building, and is exempt from Design Review.

The project would not have noise impacts and nearby trees would remain.

The Caltech master plan identified the existing central plant as a facility to remain on the campus as is and did not intend it to be removed or rehabilitated.

A conditional use permit is required for minor changes that are inconsistent with the master plan.

The proposed replacement of the cooling towers and enclosure is larger and taller than the existing facilities. Therefore, the project is considered to be inconsistent with the approved master plan, according to the staff report.

City staff is recommending the hearing officer approve the CUP modification.