SCHOOL SITE ISSUE LESS CONTENTIOUS; MOORPARK, DISTRICT LAND SQUABBLE OVER.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer A prominent Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, home builder is trying to purchase and develop 14 acres on Casey Road now owned by the Moorpark Unified School District A unified school district is a school district which includes both primary school (kindergarten through middle school or junior high) and high school (grades 9-12). In Illinois, these districts are called unit school districts. . Once a contentious issue between the school district and the city of Moorpark - a late-1980s skirmish over the land went to the state Supreme Court - the lot has sat vacant for nearly a decade since the district relocated re·lo·cate v. re·lo·cat·ed, re·lo·cat·ing, re·lo·cates v.tr. To move to or establish in a new place: relocated the business. v.intr. its high school. The district announced recently that it is negotiating to sell the land to Kaufman and Broad Multi-Housing, one of several potential buyers to emerge after a previous contender dropped out earlier this year. And city and school district officials said that the acrimony ac·ri·mo·ny n. Bitter, sharp animosity, especially as exhibited in speech or behavior. [Latin  crim that
marred attempts to sell the property earlier was put behind them long
ago.
``I'm confident that there is no remnant of that at the board and council level,'' said school board president David Pollock. ``There's been a sincere effort to put that behind us.'' Bernard Sandalow, a Kaufman and Broad spokesman, said the multihousing division of the Long Beach-based developer has made an offer to the school district and is trying get an exclusive negotiating agreement with it. He said the company is interested in building low-income apartments for senior citizens or families. City officials confirmed there are no lingering lin·ger v. lin·gered, lin·ger·ing, lin·gers v.intr. 1. To be slow in leaving, especially out of reluctance; tarry. See Synonyms at stay1. 2. bad feelings between the two public agencies. ``I don't see the city playing an integral part of (the potential proposal) except that the school district is going to have to tell them that there is a possible change in zoning on the property,'' Councilman John Wozniak
John Wozniak (born in Saint Paul, Minnesota on January 19, 1971) is an American musician. said. ``There is no guarantee of approval, but then there isn't for any developer. They know that going in.'' The city's community development director, Nelson Miller, said the land is zoned for rural use, but the city's general plan allows a residential development of up to 80 units. To be allowed more, the developer would have to provide infrastructure as well as a financial package to the city to offset traffic and other impacts. The land is within the city's downtown redevelopment zone, and projects proposed for that area have come under closer scrutiny since the City Council passed its Downtown Specific Plan. Wozniak said he would support the idea of putting senior housing on the site because that is the most sensible use. Its residents would be close to downtown shopping and would not create much additional traffic overall. The school district declared the property surplus in 1988, largely as a result of the district's $1 million estimate to upgrade Moorpark Memorial High School to meet Americans with Disabilities Act Americans with Disabilities Act, U.S. civil-rights law, enacted 1990, that forbids discrimination of various sorts against persons with physical or mental handicaps. requirements. The lower portion of the parcel, which housed the athletic field, was put up for sale. The upper section ultimately became the home of the district's newest elementary school elementary school: see school. campus, Walnut walnut, common name for some members of the Juglandaceae, a family of chiefly deciduous, resinous trees characterized by large and aromatic compound leaves. Species of the walnut family are indigenous mostly to the north temperate zone, but also range from Central Canyon School. Soon after the high school was moved, the land became the subject of a lawsuit lawsuit: see procedure; tort. between the school district and the city. The suit was ultimately settled in the school district's favor in 1992, and it set out again to find a buyer. ``We want to see a very nice project in the area,'' said Superintendent Tom Duffy. ``We see this as a very positive change for downtown. We value the downtown area; we've committed a significant resource to that area.'' |
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