Koll, Schools Reach Bolsa Chica Accord

Koll Real Estate Group and two Huntington Beach school districts said Wednesday they have reached a tentative agreement to settle a lawsuit filed by the districts over Koll’s proposed Bolsa Chica housing project.

Huntington Beach Union High School District and Huntington Beach City School District filed the lawsuits in January 1995 challenging approval of the 3,300-home project by the County Board of Supervisors.

The lawsuits stated that the project would create a need for more classrooms and sought a financial commitment from Koll to ensure that overcrowding would not result.

Under this week’s agreement, Koll will pay for renovation or new construction of schools beyond what is required by current state mandate, said Lucy Dunn, Koll senior vice president.

The current statutory fee is $1.84 for each square foot of new residential construction. Under the tentative agreement, the districts would receive $3.10 a square foot for the Koll project, said Duane Dishno, superintendent of the Huntington Beach City School District.

David Hagen, superintendent of the high school district, said the housing development is expected to increase enrollment by 660 students. “In order to house those students, we felt there needed to be fees beyond the statutory developer fees,” he said.

Dunn said Wednesday that schools “are a very important part of a well-planned community. Huntington Beach has a reputation for excellence in schools, and we’re pleased to contribute to that.”

Both school boards approved the tentative agreement at meetings Tuesday. A final agreement is expected within weeks, officials said.