WESTSIDE WANTS LAND FOR SCHOOL.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer

PALMDALE - The Westside Union School District wants to acquire three acres proposed for a neighborhood park to expand overcrowded Esperanza School.

City officials are noncommittal, saying residents have been expecting a park there.

``We didn't know if the city was going to do it or if they ever were. We could use the space for Esperanza,'' Westside board President Gwen Farrell said.

Esperanza opened three years ago and has an enrollment of more than 1,000 students. Westside officials broached the idea of obtaining the neighboring parcel, which is vacant, either through buying it from the city or a land swap.

Mayor Jim Ledford said city officials need to canvass the community before making any kind of decision.

``The residents in the area have an expectation that a neighborhood park is going to evolve. There's not a lot of neighborhood park acreage in the Rancho Vista specific plan,'' Ledford said. ``We indicated that we thought the residents' perspective was important. We need to find out their thinking and do more research before we agree to do anything at this time.''

Westside's board and the Palmdale City Council held a joint meeting Monday night to discuss the parkland and other issues, including traffic, safety and crime prevention, and growth and development.

``It went well,'' Farrell said. ``We talked about commonalities and partnering with the city and other school districts, how we could help support each other.''

``It was a good opportunity for the two respective bodies to discuss things. Talking helps us better understand each other,'' Ledford said.

Westside owns 10 acres at Avenue N-8 and 52nd Street West that it could swap with the city, Farrell said.

``At one time we talked about expanding Hillview Middle School into Rancho Vista School and moving Rancho Vista to the N-8 site,'' Farrell said.

But some parents might not like that idea because it would move Rancho Vista from the center of the community to its outer edge, Farrell said.

Both sides also talked about traffic and how to make it safer for children around schools.

``Most of the traffic concerns have to do with parent drop-offs and pickups. People drive too fast around schools,'' Farrell said. ``We talked about safe walks and getting the PTA involved. The school district is limited in what they can do.''

Ledford said with less busing, more parents drive their children to school.

``How do we handle this? How do we create a better environment? Some of it may be better enforcement, more marking on curbs, or solar speed indicators around schools that tell you how fast you're driving,'' Ledford said.

Ledford said the city's public safety office will look into working with schools to make campuses safer, such as PTA-coordinated Neighborhood Watches.

``We could look at other public-safety components that could be put in place at schools. Take a Business Watch or Neighborhood Watch concept and create it around schools to create safer environments,'' Ledford said.

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com

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