Key Change Proposed in Leases for School Sites

A major change was proposed Tuesday in the program set up by the San Diego Unified School District to lease unused school sites and use the money to help build needed schools elsewhere.

The proposal by Supt. Tom Payzant would cut from 99 years to 25 years the maximum time for lease of a school site with existing buildings that the school district might one day need again.

School officials believe the time constraint would eliminate the possibility of residential housing at the sites by making demolition of existing buildings uneconomical to potential developers. It could reduce opposition on Point Loma to the lease of the now-closed Dana Junior High School property.

The Board of Education discussed Payzant’s proposal at length Tuesday with its advisory committee on the uses of surplus school sites. A public hearing was scheduled for the evening of May 28. The proposal will be considered for action by the board on June 17.

Fierce Opposition

Payzant conceded that fierce opposition to the 99-year term at both Dana and the Farnum Elementary School site in Pacific Beach all but scuttled original plans, drawn up beginning in late 1982. Both sites have been subject to legal action by neighborhood activists.

“If that (the opposition) is the reality, let’s face it squarely and look at other options to keep generating revenues and get new, needed facilities,� Payzant told the board and the advisory committee. Neighbors around both schools have opposed long-term leases that could allow developers to build high-density housing at odds with the existing character of the areas.

The 25-year maximum would also affect Cleveland, Muir and Grantville elementary schools. However, those sites already are leased to private educational concerns on leases of five years or less, and have proven far less controversial than Dana or Farnum.

Payzant emphasized Tuesday that the district has been able to lease 12 of 18 school sites that have closed since 1981.

The advisory committee last year recommended that no lease for sites with existing buildings on them be made for more than 25 years. The school staff Tuesday conceded the wisdom, albeit belatedly, of the committee’s view.

School board President Kay Davis, who represents the Point Loma area, said the board now realizes that individual neighborhoods view school sites as community assets and are unwilling to have them developed without strong assurances beforehand of appropriate use.

The district also has run into problems with proposed special zoning by the City Council that could affect the ability to lease or sell surplus property that a neighborhood wants maintained.

Grand Jury Criticism

In addition, the county grand jury last month strongly criticized the school board for its actions in trying to lease the Dana site, saying that it ignored the community and violated state law. While the district condemned the accusations of illegality, it did concede that public relations were poorly handled.

Davis said Tuesday that she expects little community opposition to Payzant’s proposal, since a 25-year cap would eliminate many concerns. However, representatives from Point Loma cautioned that they want to see specifics of a lease proposal for Dana before dropping their guard completely.