Protest Planned Over School Site Proposal

Residents near the Creekside Equestrian Center say they will demonstrate Saturday against a proposal to build a high school, a grammar school and ball fields at the center.

Officials of Capistrano Valley Baptist Church are negotiating with the owners of the 17-acre equestrian center to buy the property, said Marty Martin, director of institutional advancement for the church.

According to a letter from Deedee Gates, manager of the riding stables, the church hopes to relocate its school, which has outgrown its current site at Del Obispo and Alipaz streets. Gates stated in the letter, dated June 10, that she expected escrow to open that day.

But plans to build the schools are still in the preliminary stages, Martin said.

“It’s premature at this point and time,” Martin said Thursday, adding that church officials are waiting for approval of the escrow instructions from their attorney.

“But if [plans] were to go through, then we would have special meetings with residents to mitigate their questions and concerns.”

Nevertheless, people who live near the equestrian center say they want to stop negotiations before they go any further, fearing that the schools would bring unwanted noise, traffic and loitering to the neighborhood.

“We’re going to resist this any way we have to,” said resident Bob Schrank, who lives next door to the property. “It’s going to destroy our neighborhood, our property values. We want to send them a message to think twice about doing this.”

Residents say they will assemble at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Creekside riding stables, 28801 San Juan Creek Road, to picket the property and circulate petitions.