Trustees, Council Meet on Selling the Farm

The 18 acres of former farmland next to Costa Mesa High School may be the only property that Newport-Mesa Unified School District officials are willing to sell, trustees told City Council members at a joint meeting this week.

“It leaves us with fewer options,” Mayor Joe Erickson said. “It is making me focus more on the farm site as possibly our best option to buy valuable park land.”

Council members delayed a vote on buying the former farm last month, saying they wanted to find out first if the school district might have plans to sell other school sites or if the farm would be the only possibility.

At Wednesday’s meeting, several Board of Education members said they were hesitant to sell other properties because they expect a dramatic increase in the number of students in the district over the next few years.

Still, some members of the City Council are concerned that the land offered for sale may be too pricey. The property has been assessed at nearly $10 million. The school district, however, has not yet set a selling price.

The council will seek public comment Monday on whether to buy the farm. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive. Information: (714) 754-5225.