YORBA LINDA : City Identifies 4 Sites for High School

A city study of potential high school sites has identified four locations, including a former reservoir and property owned by the North Orange County Community College District.

In a report to the City Council, the planning department pinpointed sites in the city or its sphere of influence that are at least 35 acres of open land.

An 895-acre property along the city’s northwest border, known as the Shell property, has often been mentioned as a possible site for a future high school. According to the report, a portion of the property is next to about 13 acres of city-owned land.

However, all but about 20 acres of the Shell property lies outside of the city limits in an unincorporated area. The property also includes a gathering and processing facility for crude oil and has several inactive oil wells.

Another parcel of unincorporated land mentioned in the report is the Murdock property, located along the northeastern border. The 277-acre site consists of steep terrain and is intersected by two canyons. There is also an earthquake fault extending along the southern border of the property.

Another centrally located site is the North Orange County Community College District property, located west of Fairmont Road and north of Yorba Linda Boulevard. The site received high marks for location, existing infrastructure and easy access.

But the 190-acre parcel is already a possible site for a new community college. Currently, 15 acres have been developed for an adult education center, and the community college trustees hope to expand the campus.

The last site included is a former reservoir in the city’s southwestern area. The 88-acre parcel is owned by the Orange County Environmental Management Agency, which has designated the site as a flood-control basin. The city’s parks and recreation department is also seeking to develop the site.

Next month, the City Council will meet with representatives of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District to discuss building a high school in the city.