South Laguna : Unused School Will Be Converted to Housing

The California Coastal Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan to convert an unused elementary school in South Laguna to an apartment complex that will be reserved for low-income senior citizens.

Meeting in Marina del Rey, the panel endorsed the unusual plan, which was jointly conceived by the Orange County Environmental Management Agency and National Church Residences of Laguna Beach.

The commission, however, tacked on a requirement that space be set aside along the property’s southern perimeter for a pedestrian trail that would lead to Aliso Beach. John Leslie, a commission planner, said that while no timetable has been set for construction of such a footpath, dedication of the swath of land guarantees “that the easement will be there for the future use of the public.”

Closed by the Laguna Beach Unified School District several years ago because of declining enrollment, Aliso School was sold to the county earlier this year for $2.7 million. The county, in turn, sold half the site to the nonprofit group, which plans to use existing classrooms as well as some new construction to build 71 new apartments.

In addition to apartment units, plans for the former school site include a child-care facility and senior citizen center.

Although rents for the one-bedroom and studio apartments will range from $480 to $600 a month, low-income elderly residents will be able to apply for federal rental subsidies.

Ron Roluffs, a county planner, said that because about $3.8 million in federal money will be used for the project, construction of the senior apartments must be finished by next summer. Grading on the school site will begin before Sept. 27 and the job will take about 10 months to complete, he said.