SIMI VALLEY : Meeting to Explore Fate of School Land
Simi Valley school board members will hold a special meeting with developers later this month to discuss options for building on a vacant piece of district-owned property across from the Civic Center, a school official said.
The Simi Valley Unified School District has entered into a partnership with Tustin-based CSA Real Estate Development and Los Angeles-based Lederer Development to develop the 36-acre parcel, which was once set aside for a high school.
The City Council in April rejected the school district’s proposal to build a 26-acre retail shopping center and 10 acres of residential development, which could have generated as much as $39 million over the next 10 years for school maintenance and repairs. Opponents have raised concerns over potential traffic and noise problems, and have also questioned whether another shopping center should be built because of a high vacancy rate in many of the city’s existing strip malls.
Despite the setback, district officials are pursuing the issue.
“The developers are going to talk with the board about some new concepts that are possibly more in line with the current zoning,” Supt. Robert Purvis said. “No specific plans have been developed for board consideration, only conceptual plans.”
The city’s General Plan calls for 111 single-family houses and 90 apartments for senior citizens to be built on the property.
The meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. July 22 at school district headquarters, 875 E. Cochran St.
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