City Will Get Chance to Buy School Farm

The future of Costa Mesa High School’s farm is now up to the city. The board of Newport-Mesa Unified School District voted Tuesday in closed session to offer to sell the city the 18 acres of farmland next to the school.

The board earlier had considered selling the site to a home builder to help meet the school district’s financial needs, including $15 million in maintenance work at schools across Costa Mesa and Newport Beach.

That proposal was rejected after an emotional public meeting in February at which dozens of parents and several Costa Mesa High School students pleaded with the board not to sell the farm, assessed at about $10 million.

Most of the speakers said they were extremely upset that the school district had abandoned an earlier plan to lease the property to the city to build a sports complex.

School Supt. Mac Bernd said Wednesday that board members decided to offer the land to the city so that it could go forward with plans for the recreational facility.

The district would make less money selling the property to the city than to a private developer, Bernd said, because of regulations that require government agencies that sell to each other to do so at a discount. But the sale would still benefit the school district.

Mayor Joe Erickson said he was aware of the district’s latest plan for the property and that the city may discuss purchasing the farm as early as its first meeting in April.