MOORPARK : Council Refuses to Buy Entire Campus

The Moorpark City Council turned down a proposal to buy the entire site of a former high school Thursday, but offered to purchase parts of the site, including the school’s gymnasium, outdoor courts and lower fields.

Disappointed representatives of the Moorpark Unified School District board said they would take the new offer back to the board Aug. 28.

After the negotiation session, board member Tom Baldwin said the city proposal “is a giant step backward.”

The high school property on Casey Road, now used as a continuation high school, has been at the crux of a legal battle between the district and the city for more than two years. The conflict centers on development of the property, which the city says would add traffic in the downtown area.

The city offered Thursday to purchase the gymnasium and courts for about $570,000 after it was learned that the Moorpark Boys and Girls Club recently failed to obtain grant funding to buy that portion of the property. The city also wants to purchase 10.6 acres of the lower fields, which it plans to use for a downtown park.

The city appraised the property at $4.2 million, but the district’s appraisal is $8 million. The state mandates that school property sold to another public entity must be sold at a price equal to 25% of the property’s valuation. However, only 30% of the property can be purchased at the lower price, and the rest must be purchased at the market price.