HUNTINGTON BEACH : City OKs Schools’ 65-Year Lease Plan

City Council members have approved a plan by the financially ailing Huntington Beach Union High School District to lease land to a developer to build about 230 apartments at the site of the former Wintersburg Continuation High School.

School officials, who say they have lost $32 million in revenue since 1979 because of declining enrollment and tightened state spending, plan to use the money to head off budget cuts and restore programs.

They hope to get an estimated $750,000 a year in a 65-year lease with Andover Chandler Cos. of Burbank, their partner in the venture.

The Planning Commission rejected a similar school plan last month on grounds that the apartment project would preempt open space, eliminate a soccer field, increase traffic and put a strain on sewers and drainage.

But the City Council overturned the denial this week on the condition that parking for apartment tenants be confined to the site and that the project adhere to setback requirements. City officials also reserved up to 15% of the units as affordable housing.

Several nearby residents urged council officials to scuttle the project.

“The school district wants to maximize the profit motive at the expense of my neighborhood,” resident John Whelan said.

Another complained about a loss of open space, calling the plan “shortsighted and a quick fix.”

But Councilwoman Linda Moulton-Patterson, a former school trustee, said the apartment project was motivated by the district’s desire to survive.

The project will be built on a 60-acre parcel that is also shared by Ocean View High School. After construction, there will still be 45 acres remaining for Ocean View, about average for a high school campus, Supt. David J. Hagen said.

There will be no loss of recreation facilities, Hagen maintained. The soccer field that will be lost to construction will be moved to another part of the campus.

In addition, the apartment complex will come with 12 tennis courts to be made available to students as well as the public, Hagen said.

The council approved a medium-high density general plan designation for the apartment project that allows 25 units to an acre, and set a maximum height limit of 35 feet (three stories) and a maximum of 295 units. But parking and setback requirements will reduce the number of units, an official said.