Some Oppose Plan for High School to Share Park’s Fields

Belvedere Park is a prize to those who live in East Los Angeles--an oasis of ball fields and swing sets amid the urban sprawl.

That’s why some residents of East L.A. and neighboring Monterey Park are fighting plans by the Los Angeles Unified School District to include half of the park’s athletic fields in a new high school complex.

“Why take the people’s park?” asked Benny Saiz, 67, a Monterey Park retiree who lives right behind Belvedere. “There’s just not enough room.”

The struggle pits the crowded community’s pressing need for open space against the equally desperate need for schools. Adding to the tension is the fact that the school district has found no other suitable location in the area to build a sprawling campus.

Everyone agrees that East L.A. needs more schools. Nearby Garfield and Roosevelt high schools, two of the district’s largest campuses, together serve more than 9,000 students.

But Belvedere Park comes with hefty historical baggage. The park was sliced in half 35 years ago to make way for the Pomona Freeway. Those who remember that loss of green space refuse to cede another inch. They point out that Belvedere is a regional park that serves sports enthusiasts from miles away. Others are concerned about more traffic, noise and crime.

The proposed school at Belvedere Park is one of 85 campuses L.A. Unified is trying to build over the next five years. But East Los Angeles has proved to be one of the most difficult areas in which to acquire appropriate sites for schools.

District officials call the Belvedere plan innovative because it involves joint use with the county park and avoids the highly unpopular option of condemning private property.

Two soccer fields, a baseball field and a pool area would be used by the school from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day and would be open to the public at other times. The school and the community would share other park facilities, and the school’s gym, library and auditorium would be open to the public when school was not in session.

In exchange for this plan, the district would spend $24 million to refurbish the park. For example, it would rebuild an existing park gym and community center, add new sprinkler and drainage systems and redo the playground.

A new soccer stadium would be built and an aquatic center added with diving boards and platforms. The district also would give Los Angeles County $1.5 million to build another soccer field elsewhere in the community.

If the district can’t follow through with its Belvedere plan, it will have to seize hundreds of homes and apartments to make space for the high school.

“Instead of uprooting people, we’re improving the park,” said Rick Rodriguez, a real estate consultant who is scouting school sites for the district. “We’re trying to take advantage of what little land is left. I think it gives back to the community.”

The proposed campus would serve 2,000 students on a year-round calendar, with 1,500 students on campus at any time. It would relieve overcrowding at Garfield and Roosevelt high schools.

The school building itself would be next to the park in a spot now taken up by a small county office building.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina tentatively supports the project but insists that the school district address the many concerns of the community before she gives a final thumbs-up.

“We think it’s a great idea to have joint projects like this,” said Miguel Santana, Molina’s assistant chief of staff. “Neighborhoods need schools and parks. Ultimately, it’s up to LAUSD to present this concept to the community and hear every one of their concerns.”

Some leaders question why anyone would complain about opening a school in a community that historically has been overlooked by governmental agencies.

“I find it disturbing that the people around there would not find it a good project, considering it’s for the betterment of education,” said Nadine Diaz, 38, who sits on a citizens committee that oversees redevelopment in the area.

But others complain that L.A. Unified has left them in the dark. Several said they were unaware of the district’s proposal until asked by a reporter to comment on it.

“Even though we have a need for schools, you don’t have a right to come and shove it down our throats,” said Diana Tarango, a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and a leading community organizer. “If you come into the community with something that will be an improvement, you still have to communicate that to the residents.”

The school district began publicizing its plan last month. Officials made their case in public meetings with small groups of residents. District officials addressed the Monterey Park City Council Wednesday and plan two large community forums next week--one at Garfield High and another at Roosevelt High.

Still, communication has proved to be a problem. The district angered several Monterey Park homeowners recently after one of its consulting firms sent a letter mistakenly saying that the school building would be located in the park. Residents who called the number on the letter said they also were told--incorrectly--that the district would be condemning homes to make room for the school.

That triggered a small but determined campaign by Monterey Park residents to derail the school. The homeowners--and at least one city councilman, Frank Venti--have complained loudly about losing parkland. They also contend that the school--just two blocks from East Los Angeles Community College--will add to parking problems and crime.

“Nobody wants to interfere with the right to build high schools, but they’re just picking the wrong place,” Venti said. “I guarantee that if this was San Marino or South Pasadena, they wouldn’t be taking a park.”