YORBA LINDA : City to Build Gym Despite Stalled Talks

Negotiations between the city and the school district over the use of a new gymnasium at Hurless Barton Park have stalled, but city officials say they will build the $2.5-million facility regardless of whether they can reach an agreement with the district.

While both sides say they will continue to meet in an effort to hammer out a joint-use agreement, an official with the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District has said negotiators have yet to reach an accord on several basic issues concerning the project.

City officials have said their offer would allow the school district to use the facility during school hours with a minimum financial obligation.

“We have made the deal incredibly easy for the school district,” Councilman John M. Gullixson said. “We are putting it on our property, paying for it with our money and all we’re asking them for is (some of the) maintenance costs. I have no idea what’s holding them back (from signing an agreement).”

But Assistant Supt. Kim Stallings said the deal the city has offered the district involves more concessions than just a portion of the maintenance costs.

“If that had been the case, we would have an agreement by now,” Stallings said. “The deal we’ve been offered includes the city being able to use our land, on a long-term lease at no cost, as well as financial concessions above and beyond the maintenance costs.”

Stallings said the unspecified portion the city wants to lease is not located near the gym site and would not be used for that project, he said. He did not know what the city wanted the land for.

Stallings would not elaborate on what the financial considerations the city is seeking.

If the two sides can work out an agreement, students at Yorba Linda Middle School will have use of the facility during the daytime on school days, as well as an unspecified number of evenings and weekends. Adults and youth sports teams and other recreation programs would use the gym on weeknights and most weekends.

A similar arrangement exists at the gym at Travis Ranch Middle School, but there both sides have an equal position governing the use and ownership of the facility. In the case of the Hurless Barton gym, the city would have complete ownership rights and could terminate the school district’s use of the facility at any time.

The 25,000-square-foot gym will be built on the south side of Hurless Barton Park, near Yorba Linda Middle School. In order for students at the middle school to use the gym on a regular basis, the design of the building must meet certain requirements regarding the number of exits and ventilation, among others. City officials say those requirements will add 15% to the total cost of the project.

Construction on the facility is scheduled to start in September.