City Hearing Set on Lease of School Land

The future of 18 acres of farmland next to Costa Mesa High School will be the subject of a public hearing Monday.

Initially, the city sought to lease the land to develop a sports complex. But city officials canceled those discussions when the Newport-Mesa Unified School District proposed to sell the land instead, to help pay for an estimated $15 million in repairs to schools.

At its meeting Tuesday, the school board postponed a decision after dozens of residents pleaded with the district not to sell the land. Most said they favored leasing it to the city to build athletic fields and asked the district to seek alternatives to raise money.

Mayor Joe Erickson said the city did not want to postpone its hearings on the proposed lease any longer, because it may be several months before the school board decides what to do.

“I personally still hold out hope that we will have a sports facility,” Erickson said.