Commercial Use of School Site Opposed

A proposal to seek a commercial development for the closed Crest View School site drew a crowd of 100 angry residents to the Ocean View School District board meeting this week to protest the plan.

“We do not want any commercial development there whatsoever,” said Debbie Josephson, who has lived in the community for 10 years. “It would be an encroachment of our neighborhood and bring down the value of our neighborhood.”

Josephson said many of her neighbors also oppose a commercial venture on the property because it would increase traffic, congestion, crime and noise.

The school, built in 1961 off Talbert Avenue near Beach Boulevard, has been closed for four years. The property is zoned for low-density residential use.

Residents told the school board that they would like to see the school reopened. But Ocean View Supt. James R. Tarwater said data show that the site will not be needed in the near future. “That area is one of our lowest enrollment areas,” he said.

Tarwater said the board is considering a commercial development because it would expand the city’s sales tax base and give the district an annual revenue stream from a lease on the property.

If the property were commercially developed, he said, the district could realize as much as $600,000 a year in revenue from a lease. Tarwater said the money is needed to pay for improvements at aging school sites still in use.

Tarwater said the board will continue its search for an appropriate commercial project but will share its plans with residents to gain their involvement.

A request for a zoning change will likely go to the Huntington Beach City Council in April, Tarwater said.