MISSION VIEJO : School District, City OK Joint-Use Pact

Capistrano Unified School District trustees and the City Council this week approved the joint use of two district elementary schools, their adjacent city parks and other facilities.

At their respective meetings Monday, the two agencies unanimously agreed that during school hours the city will give Fred Newhart Elementary School, at 25001 Oso Viejo, priority use of Oso Viejo Park, and Bathgate Elementary School, at 27642 Napoli Way, priority use of Napoli Park.

In exchange, the district will provide an easement to the city to build a bus turnaround area, expanded parking lot and fence for the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, next to Fred Newhart Elementary School.

The district and city will split the expense of landscaping maintenance in the joint-use areas, which will cost each entity an estimated $37,200 a year.

In addition, the district and city agreed to give each other preferential use of facilities such as recreation centers, swimming pools, gymnasiums, ball fields and classrooms.

The agreement reached updates a 1987 pact that was signed when Mission Viejo was an unincorporated community services district. That agreement was limited to the joint use of Fred Newhart Elementary and Oso Viejo Park.

Parks and recreation officials for Mission Viejo, which became a city in 1988, recently approached the school district requesting the change.