YORBA LINDA : Trustees Decide to Replace School Track

A Yorba Linda Middle School track that was eliminated to make room for the Valley View Sports Park will be replaced, the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Board of Trustees has decided.

The board last week approved hiring a landscape architect for $2,500 to draw up plans for the track, which will include a playing field in the center.

The school’s old track was removed in 1986 when the city purchased property from the district to construct the sports park, which was built west of the middle school.

At that time, the city agreed to pay half the cost of constructing a new track and field.

Mike Bailey, director of planning and facilities for the district, said the agreement calls for the track complex to be built half on city property and half on school property.

A likely spot would be southeast of the existing baseball fields at the sports park, Bailey said.

Use of the facility would be similar to other joint projects the city and district have built, such as the Travis Ranch Activity Center at Travis Ranch Elementary School.

The school would still use the track on school days. The city would have exclusive use in the evenings and on weekends and holidays.

City officials estimated that the project will cost about $100,000. Bailey said he expects the project to be completed by September.