City Seeks to Buy School Site for Park
Seeing an opportunity to obtain new parkland for the city, the City Council has voted to enter into negotiations to buy the Monte Vista School from the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
“The east side of Costa Mesa is deficient in parkland, so it is important when they are offered for sale that the city use all reasonable effort to try to acquire,” Mayor Joe Erickson said.
The school district expects about $3.5 million from the sale, but city officials said they might be able to negotiate a lower price.
Only Councilman Gary Monahan voted against the purchase, saying that the location of the school next to homes makes it less than ideal for recreational purposes.
But Erickson argued that so few parkland sites exist on the east side that the city must consider it.
The 6-acre site is large enough to accommodate two soccer fields and two baseball diamonds, he said.
Monte Vista is the second school the district has offered for sale this year.
In August, it sold the Bear Street School in Costa Mesa to a real estate developer for $5.3 million.
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