School, Park May Share 100-Acre Site

Ventura Unified School District and the city are considering using 100 acres on the city’s east end for a joint school-park project.

Final plans for a regional sports park and middle school on the city-owned property at Telephone Road are expected in the next two months, according to district and city officials.

Last week, representatives of the American Youth Soccer Organization, the Tri-Valley Girls’ Softball League, the Ventura Wildcats basketball league and other youth sports groups weighed in with reservations during a town hall meeting at Balboa Middle School on three design options proposed for the site.

Critics have expressed concerns about the district’s plan to use 22 acres of the 100-acre city parcel for the middle school instead of using the district’s 40-acre parcel on Henderson Road. But Ventura School Board President Jim Wells said that matter has already been addressed by the school board. The board has declared the 40-acre property a surplus site and has no plans to develop it.

Peter Brown, the city’s community services manager, said that of the three options being considered, two include the middle school and the third features only the regional sports park.

Brown said all three design options will include six standard-size basketball courts, 15 soccer fields and four softball fields.

He said the two design options that include the middle school would have two fewer tennis courts than the sports-park-only option.

Brown said a final design plan is expected in the next eight weeks. The environmental impact review would take an additional six months.

Once the district and city decide on an option, it will be placed on the November ballot to seek funding approval. If approved by voters, the sports park would likely be in operation by 2002 or 2003.

Brown said, “The city is happy to see the school district consider locating its new middle school near the sports park and the prospect of shared athletic fields. The city continually looks for additional opportunities to work in partnership with the school district to provide the community with a higher level of service.”

But Robert Albrant, a coach with the Ventura Wildcats, said he isn’t pleased with the prospect of relinquishing 22 acres of recreational area.

“I was surprised to all of a sudden find out that the school district would try to put a school on that property,” Albrant said. “We have 100 acres of limited space for recreational facilities, and the school district is attempting to take one-fourth of the area designated for kids. I don’t know why they are choosing to grab up one-fourth of a regional sports park.”