Controversy grows over UCLA proposed sale of donated Japanese Garden

Photo by Drew Wilder-Goodwin via Flickr Creative Commons

UCLA Hannah Carter Japanese Garden

Nothing lasts forever. Not even the meaning of "in perpetuity." Last year, a court ruling allowed UCLA to remove the eternally terrifying clause from a 1964 donation agreement, and the university is now looking to sell its Japanese Garden property.

The proposed sale of the Bel Air 1.5-acre Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is viewed by the university as an opportunity to raise roughly $5.7 million for endowments, programs and professorships, but the move to market is strongly opposed by conservationist groups.

The LA Conservancy and Garden Conservancy say the plan does not include protective measures or maintenance requirements for the garden, and that a single family home could still be built on the agricultural zone.

According to the LA Times, the university has already started removing objects from the site, and plans to keep some significant pieces -- including a Buddha statue and pagoda -- at the Fowler Museum or other locations on campus.

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