DISTRICT OPPOSES COMPLEX BOARD HOPES TO STOP 285 NEW APARTMENTS.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer PALMDALE - Westside Union School District is opposing a proposed 285-unit apartment complex in west Palmdale, saying it will further crowd schools, create traffic hazards and be a financial drain. Leading the opposition among Westside board members is trustee Deborah Rutkowski-Hines, who also is a member of a homeowner group that is against the project and had opposed another apartment project proposed by the same developer that is now tied up in litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. . ``As a school board member, my opposition to the project is the huge number of students that it's going to generate for (Cottonwood cottonwood: see willow. cottonwood Any of several fast-growing North American trees of the genus Populus. Members of the willow family, cottonwoods have heart-shaped, toothed leaves and cottony seeds. The dangling leaves clatter in the wind. ) school that cannot handle them,'' Rutkowski-Hines said. ``They don't have room for any more students at that school.'' ``That project will put us over the top. We've already talked about putting in a temporary school and busing children, which are huge expenses,'' she said. ``Those are things our district can't afford right now.'' Lancaster developer Andrew J. Eliopulos is proposing to build the 285 units in four three-story apartment buildings plus a community building on 12.3 acres southwest of Rancho ran·cho n. pl. ran·chos Southwestern U.S. 1. A hut or group of huts for housing ranch workers. 2. A ranch. Vista Boulevard and west of 30th Street West, bordering a neighborhood of houses. The apartments are likely to add more than 150 elementary school elementary school: see school. pupils and more than 90 high school students to local schools, city officials say. Westside officials last week sent a letter signed by Assistant Superintendent Assistant Superintendent, or Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was a rank used by police forces in the British Empire. It was usually the lowest rank that could be held by a European officer, most of whom joined the police at this rank. Casey Cridelich to City Hall, stating the district's opposition to the project. Cridelich wrote the letter with input from Rutkowski-Hines. Rutkowski-Hines said the letter was the result of Westside trustees' direction to their staff to work with the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale to find ways to deal with population growth. ``After receiving a report on (district) demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. , we decided that we needed to actively get involved with the planning departments and cities to mitigate mit·i·gate v. To moderate in force or intensity. mit  i·ga tion n. growth around us,'' she said.
The project will go before the Palmdale Planning Commission Noun 1. planning commission - a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments commission, committee - a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle on Thursday - a step taken because of the controversy raised by it. Such reviews usually are done by a city administrator. The commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in City Hall, 38300 Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling . Eliopulos sued the city after the City Council voted 3-2 in May 2003 to block a 90-unit complex at Rancho Vista Boulevard and Avenue O-8. He declined to comment last week on Westside officials' opposition to the second project. Mayor Jim Ledford said if Westside officials want the city to reject the project, they must provide a legal basis for it. He also asked if Westside would financially help the city defend itself from potential lawsuits. ``I'm no apartment fan, but I do understand property rights,'' Ledford said. ``And they haven't taken that position with regard to single-family home construction. I'm concerned about the lack of consistency.'' City Manager Bob Toone said the city is willing to meet with Westside officials and work on possible solutions, including talking with a developer about dedicating 10 acres for a school. Rutkowski-Hines said Westside is facing a similar problem with houses being built near Sundown School in west Lancaster. ``It has nothing to do with apartments. It has to do with the number of children. It has nothing to do with what kind of development it is,'' Rutkowski-Hines said. Trustee Gwen Farrell said Eliopulos' apartments would affect Esperanza and Cottonwood schools. ``Because the schools are already overcrowded o·ver·crowd v. o·ver·crowd·ed, o·ver·crowd·ing, o·ver·crowds v.tr. To cause to be excessively crowded: a system of consolidation that only overcrowded the classrooms. , any new construction impacts the district until we are able to build more schools,'' Farrell said. Farrell acknowledged there are limits on the amount of influence a school district can wield wield tr.v. wield·ed, wield·ing, wields 1. To handle (a weapon or tool, for example) with skill and ease. 2. To exercise (authority or influence, for example) effectively. See Synonyms at handle. over city government. ``A school district has no power to impact the City Council or Planning Commission regarding that type of project,'' he said. ``Generally we send a letter saying it will impact the school district if houses are built in a certain area.'' Rutkowski-Hines said she would like Palmdale officials to consider what other cities have done to help lessen less·en v. less·ened, less·en·ing, less·ens v.tr. 1. To make less; reduce. 2. Archaic To make little of; belittle. v.intr. To become less; decrease. the impact of development on school districts. She said the city of Pleasanton gives priority to developments that would not severely impact schools, such as commercial and industrial projects and those with senior residents, and to residential developers that provide schools. City officials say they have no legal ability to halt Eliopulos' apartment project, because the property has been zoned for apartments for years. The Rancho Vista master-plan earmarks the property for high-density apartments. City officials said state law forbids them from requiring anything from the developer other than the standard fees to go toward school construction, and they aren't allowed to turn the project down if the builder refuses to go beyond those. The Westside letter cited the possible additional costs of adding more bus routes and crossing guards to serve students who would reside in the apartment complex. ``Currently, it costs our district $50,000 per bus in order to add another route. We are in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of a financial crisis, which has caused us to lay off teachers, and we cannot absorb the additional cost of busing these students nor pay for crossing guards,'' the letter said. In the letter, Westside officials cited the dangers of students crossing Rancho Vista Boulevard: ``Rancho Vista is also a street with speed limits of 55 mph or more with a center barrier. Without plans for a signal light to safely cross pedestrians (including students) 24 hours a day, the potential for more fatalities is increased.'' The letter also said the district might have to devote more resources to students who live in the apartments. ``Student populations generated by these apartments will more likely be of a transient A malfunction that occurs at random intervals and lasts for a short duration such as a spike or surge in a power line or a memory cell that intermittently fails. See spike and power surge. transient - 1. nature and will (have more turnover) within our schools, thus causing them to be more at risk of failing academically. This will cause us to bring in more costly specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. professionals to meet the needs of these students. Student turnover weighs heavily on the culture of the school and by adding unplanned high-density housing near school sites, the culture can be lost,'' Westside officials said in the letter. He noted that at-risk students The term at-risk students is used to describe students who are "at risk" of failing academically, for one or more of any several reasons. The term can be used to describe a wide variety of students, including,
Karen Maeshiro, (661) 267-5744 karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com |
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