U-T covers La Costa Valley neighbor Klein debating for school board seat

The San Diego Union-Tribune covered a public forum with the three contenders for two seats on the board of SDHUSD – San Dieguito Union School District.

From reading the article, it sounds like La Costa Valley neighbor Klein didn’t fare very well.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20081009-9999-1mc9skuls.html

How would you vote if you voted today?

Here is the original article:

Bruce Lieberman
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

October 9, 2008

NORTH COUNTY – School board candidates for the San Dieguito Union High School District had few sharp words for one another – until the last two minutes – at a forum Wednesday night.

Apparently exasperated by challenger Michael Klein, incumbent trustee Joyce Dalessandro launched into a prepared attack that suggested Klein would undermine the district’s successes if elected.

“Mr. Klein has called for change, and my question for him is, ‘Change what, Mr. Klein?’ ” Dalessandro began. “Change the fact that we are among the top-rated school districts in the county, state and nation?

“Change what?” she said again with more than a hint of sarcasm. “Change the fact that our students have an array of choices and opportunities rarely seen in public education?”

And so on.

Dalessandro’s closing statement revealed a lot about where the lines are drawn in this district’s school board race.

Dalessandro and fellow incumbent Beth Hergesheimer painted a picture Wednesday of an extremely well-run school district that is nevertheless vulnerable to the ongoing state budget crisis and therefore needs experienced trustees.

“In these tough economic times, we need proven, effective leadership,” Hergesheimer said.

Klein, one of a group of parents that feels betrayed that the school district changed plans to build a middle school in its neighborhood of La Costa Valley, argued for a “fresh set of eyes and a fresh pair of hands” to tackle ongoing budget issues and better prepare students for a rapidly changing economy.

Echoing district administrators during Wednesday’s debate, Dalessandro and Hergesheimer explained that the district hopes to build a school in La Costa Valley but not until there are enough students in the district to warrant it.

Klein argued that large class sizes in the district could be partly alleviated by building a middle school in La Costa Valley with Mello-Roos tax dollars he and his neighbors have been paying for years.

Dalessandro and Hergesheimer countered that larger class sizes are not the result of a lack of space, but tightened general fund budgets that limit the number of teachers the district can hire.

Klein, while offering the prospect of a new face on the board, was light on specifics about how he would reduce class sizes, particularly at the district’s high schools.

He also passed on a question about how the district gets its money. The district is now funded according to how many students attend but because of a somewhat complicated state formula, the district soon could be funded directly from local property taxes.

The change benefits districts when enrollment is low and property taxes are high. When the trends reverse, districts could end up short of money.

——————————————————————————–
Bruce Lieberman: (760) 476-8205; bruce.lieberman@uniontrib.com

U-T reports on SDUHSD meeting about vacant land restrictions

The San Diego Union-Tribune covered a recent meeting of the SDUHSD trustees.

If you were at the meeting, do you feel the reporter got the story right? If not, add your comments.

Were all of the neighborhoods who have been paying into this Mello-Roos assessment (within CFD 94-2) represented?

 

Here is the U-T article:

Trustees pose questions on La Costa land proposal

By Bruce Lieberman
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER October 4, 2008

NORTH COUNTY – San Dieguito Union High School District trustees have gotten their first look at a proposal from La Costa Valley residents to restrict how the district uses vacant land off Calle Barcelona.

Trustees responsed mostly with legal questions.

Later this month, the board is expected to revisit the residents’ proposal, which calls for a deed restriction on 22 acres south of Calle Barcelona between Rancho Santa Fe Road and El Camino Real.

La Costa Valley residents have said the district reneged on plans to build a middle school on the property, while the district has said flattening enrollment since 2000 forced a change of plans.

Directors of the La Costa Valley homeowners association say they want legally binding guarantees that the district will build a school there eventually or make sure the land is used for a community park.

The association’s directors have said that 2,750 homeowners have paid a Mello-Roos tax amounting to about $800 annually and that they should benefit directly from their property taxes.

San Dieguito administrators have said that more than $23 million of the tax dollars collected within the tax district have been put to good use, as allowed under the law. Campuses in the district that La Costa Valley children are or will be attending have been renovated and modernized.

Some La Costa Valley residents remain unsatisfied.

“We cannot understand why … the district wouldn’t support a limitation” on the district’s title to the property, resident Leonard Steinberg said at a school board meeting Thursday night.

“It seems to us and the homeowners that we represent that clearly this is something that would benefit this community since, after all, it is our money that paid for that school site.”

Andrew Weis, a homeowners association director, told the school board that his association wants the district to act soon.

“If this deed restriction is not finalized by Oct. 31 … we’re going to do what we need to do to ensure success,” Weis said. “We’re not sure what that is. We’re hoping that this will be resolved.”

School trustees said a long list of questions need to be addressed before they can consider any proposal to place restrictions on the deed. Among them:

• What percentage of the homeowners who live within the tax district (known as Community Facilities District 94-2) are members of the La Costa Valley homeowners association?
• Can the school board enter into an agreement with the La Costa Valley homeowners association if the tax district includes homeowners who are not members of that association?
• How do other homeowners associations within the tax district feel about the La Costa Valley proposal?
• Can the current school board legally encumber future school boards with such a deed restriction?
• Would a deed restriction violate provisions of the original Mello-Roos tax district?

San Dieguito administrators and attorneys are expected to address the issues in coming weeks, before the school board casts a final vote on the proposal.

Trustee Dee Rich suggested that the school district and La Costa Valley residents are more in line with their goals for the property than some people might realize.

“Obviously, we want a school built there,” she said.

“Demographics change. Why do we have to put anything on the property if we want to put a school there? What is the problem with simply holding on to the property?”

SDUHSD School Board Hearing Oct 2nd 6:30pm

The San Dieguito Union High School Board has a hearing on Thursday, October 2nd at 6:30pm. It’s at the SDUHSD offices at 710 Encinitas Blvd in Encinitas.

On the agenda is a Deed Restriction put on the agenda by the La Costa Valley Homeowners Association.

If you support FONC (Friends of North County) and want to limit how SDUHSD and any subsequent owner may develop the property, then you should go to this meeting. First, contact the HOA Board to get a copy of the Deed Restriction to see for yourself what it asks to restrict.

If you do not support FONC (Friends of North County), then you should go to this meeting. Don’t let someone speak for you.

Note: an even more important meeting is the next day, – October 3rd – with the SDUHSD Superintendent Ken Noah, the Honorable Judge DeFiglia and anyone who has any specific complaints or allegationrs of wrongdoing on the part of SDUHSD or its staff relating to the vacant property on Calle Barcelona or CFD 94-2. In Mr. Noah’s letter of September 22nd, he shares some procedural questions that FONC asked Mr. Noah, however either FONC did not share any specific complaints or allegations of wrongdoing, or Mr. Noah left those out of his letter. Perhaps at this meeting there will be the opportunity to hear specific complaints instead of the vague, general, and strong statements that have been sent in FONC emails. You may need to contact Mr. Noah’s office to learn the place and time of the meeting.

Sept 22nd, 2008 SDUHSD Letter to Residents of CFD 94-2

Things are moving right along in building a dialog between concerned residents, the school district (SDUHSD) and the FONC group (“Friends of North County”).

The new supertintendent, Ken Noah, is a refreshing addition. Instead of circling the wagons after flaming arrows were rained down on the district, he’s moving to transparency and openness. It’s a great thing to have more of this out in the open, as that will both help homeowners in La Costa Valley and the other neighborhoods which have been paying into the Mello-Roos assessment, and it will also help the district.

Mr. Noah’s letter was mailed to every taxpaper in CDF 94-2, so if, for some reason, you’ve been paying your assessment and didn’t get your copy, contact the school district right away.

In the meantime, hopefully the October 3rd meeting with Mr. Hoah and the Honorable Judge DeDiglia will help us all have a better understanding of the facts, as well as the motivations of the FONC group, the school district, and other concerned homeowners.

Be sure to put the date October 3rd into your calendar. Contact the district for exact details about the place and time. Also, contact members of the La Costa Valley Homeowners Association Board and the middle school steering committee to make sure they know your concerns and interest.

Take this poll. Do you plan to be at the meeting, or will you let others speak for you?

Sept 17, 2008 Letter to Residents of CFD 94-2

Ken Noah, the Superintendent of the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) sent a letter to all residents of the Mello-Roos district CFD 94-2.

Mr. Noah has scheduled a hearing for October 3rd to hear any claims of district wrongdoing or improprieties. This is to be before a retired judge, the Honorable Vincent DiFiglia. Mr. Noah requests that anyone wishing to participate by bringing forth a claim should contact his office by September 26th, to give a general discription of the claim you wish heard, and how much time you would need to make a presentation.

In the letter, he gives his direct extension and email.

It looks like a good time to make specific complaints known.

Apparently, the previous methods and strong language by FONC has not been effective. This might be a good opportunity for homeowners/taxpayers to have concerns actually heard. September 26th is very soon!

U-T Covers District’s La Costa Valley Vacant Land

The August 23rd issue of the San Diego Union-Tribune has an article by Bruce Lieberman, U-T staff writer entitled: “Restrictions asked on use of district’s idle site”

A few highlights:

• San Diego Union High School District (SDUHSD) Superintendent Ken Noah made it clear that ultimatums and scare tactics will make it more difficult to negotiate.
  • The Friends of North County (FONC) group had sent out scare-tactic letters, fabricated photographs, and mis-statements that have concerned many La Costa Valley residents. Other residents have supported these methods.
  • Some FONC members are now on the board of La Costa Valley and on a steering committee, and are issuing demands to the school district in advance of a vote by La Costa Valley Homeowners.

“If this is a set of demands that are not acceptable to the district and there’s no room to negotiate, it’s going to be very hard to forge a solution here,” Noah said yesterday.

• The article also raises the matter that the Mello-Roos taxes paid for the middle school were collected in other areas besides La Costa Valley, and also that those taxes were not designated only for a middle school.

Concerned La Costa Valley homeowners should get involved now:

• Attend the School District and City Planning Department meetings to listen to the issues and let your voices be heard 
• Let the La Costa Valley Homeowner’s Association know your concerns:
  • Encourage them to use effective negotiating techniques and not resort to the scare and mis-information tactics of the FONC group
  • Remind the board not to take action on this matter before it has been authorized to do so by a 2/3 vote of the La Costa Valley Homeowners. Otherwise, the time and money spent on such efforts won’t be legally binding so will be wasted.
  • Let the board know how you feel about the various proposals that have been raised, such as an assessment on all homeowners to buy or develop the property, an assessment on homeowners that live adjacent to the undeveloped property, or an assessment to pay for legal fees.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20080823-9999-1mc23lacosta.html

Another official SDUHSD statement from concerning its vacant land

On August 19th, 2008, the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) released another statement. It’s called “Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the La Costa Valley (Calle Barcelona) Property”

You can read it on the SDUHSD website:

http://www.sduhsd.net/pdfs/2008/Superintendent/LaCostaValley_FAQ_08_19_08.pdf

Here’s a word-for-word copy from the SDUHSD website. (in case it gets taken down or moved) (sorry if the formatting is a little funky)

Frequently Asked Questions
Concerning the
La Costa Valley (Calle Barcelona) Property

There have been a number of questions recently surrounding the district-owned property in La Costa Valley. We would like to clarify the school district’s position on this piece of land and hopefully address any concerns the community may have.

Purchase-Related Questions………………………………………..2

Why did the school district buy the La Costa Valley site?………………………2
Why did the school district buy the land if there was a chance it would not be needed?……………………………………………………………………2
Did the school district buy this property as an investment?……………………3

Construction-Related Questions…………………………………….3

Why hasn’t the school been built?……………………………………………….3
My REALTOR told me the school would be built in a couple years. When did the school district change its mind?………………………………………….3
Why doesn’t the school district just build the school?………………………….3
Is it true that even if the school district wanted to build a school at LCV, the school district does not have the money to build it?…………………….4

Community Facilities District / Mello-Roos Related Questions…….4

How can the school district use the Mello-Roos tax paid in the La Costa Valley Community Facilities District (CFD)?……………………………………..4
How have the students living in La Costa Valley benefited from the use of proceeds from CFD 94-2?…………………………………………………5
Has the school district used Mello-Roos funds from CFD 94-2 to build Canyon Crest Academy?…………………………………………………………..5

General Questions…………………………………………………..5

What is the current plan for the school site?……………………………………5
Why was there a sign on the property advertising it as a Future Middle School?6
What is the unused site fee?…………………………………………………….6
Why did the school district put a fence around the site?……………………….6
Why has the school district hired lawyers to advise it in this matter?…………6
Why can’t our children go to Diegueño Middle School?…………………………6

Surplus (Sale or Lease) Questions…………………………………..7

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 1
Has the school district decided to sell the La Costa Valley site?……………….7
What is the process for declaring the land as surplus?………………………….7
Has the school district formed a 7/11 Committee?……………………………..7
How does the school district go about selling a property?……………………..8
If the school district decides to sell LCV, will the homeowners have any say in the process?……………………………………………………………….8
What happens to the proceeds if the land is sold?……………………………..8
Is the school district using, or planning to use, our Mello-Roos taxes or proceeds from the sale of the La Costa Valley site to cover state budget cuts or for retirement benefits?………………………………………………………8
If the land is sold, is the first priority that it be used as low-income/high density housing?…………………………………………………………..8
Can the school district guarantee that the land will not be sold for low-income/high density housing?…………………………………………….9
Who controls the zoning of the school site?…………………………………….9

Facilities Action Plan Questions……………………………………10

The school district recently hired a firm to help it create a Facilities Action Plan. What is that about?……………………………………………….10
Is the Facilities Action Plan Task Force a 7/11 Committee?…………………..10
What else do we need to know?……………………………………10

Purchase-Related Questions

Why did the school district buy the La Costa Valley site?

Demographic studies performed in the early 1990s demonstrated there would be a need for an additional junior high school in the northern part of the district. The school district purchased the site as a part of the mitigation agreement with Fieldstone Homes, the original developer of the Villages of La Costa.

Why did the school district buy the land if there was a chance it would not be needed?

School districts have two choices when planning future school sites:
1. Buy vacant land in new developments when the land is less expensive, or
2. Wait until the population justifies the need for a new school and take property through eminent domain when land cost is higher, zoning is more restrictive, and years of expensive legal challenges are likely.

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 2

Did the school district buy this property as an investment?

No.

The school district is in the business of educating children-not real estate speculation.

Construction-Related Questions

Why hasn’t the school been built?

Shortly after purchasing the site in 1999, enrollment projections began to flatten. Although the number of students living in the La Costa Valley increased, fewer students are coming from the other neighborhoods served by our middle schools. The two SDUHSD middle schools are currently able to handle the number of students who attend the Encinitas Union School District elementary schools in Encinitas and La Costa.
My REALTOR told me the school would be built in a couple years. When did the school district change its mind?
The school district never set an official target date to build the school. Rather, the land was purchased in anticipation of needing it. The school would have been built had the enrollment projections turned out as predicted.
To date, it has not been determined whether or not the school district will build a school on this site.

Why doesn’t the school district just build the school?

It would be fiscally irresponsible to spend millions of dollars to build a school that demographic studies suggest we do not need in the foreseeable future. There would be millions more in start-up costs to outfit the classrooms with instructional materials and furniture. There would be increased personnel costs to staff three middle schools as opposed to the two we currently have. Smaller schools are proportionally more expensive to operate and tend to offer fewer elective programs.

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 3

Is it true that even if the school district wanted to build a school at LCV, the school district does not have the money to build it?

The proceeds from CFD 94-2 were never intended to be the sole source of funding for construction of a new school. If a school is ever built on the property, a mixture of several state and local funding sources would be used.

Community Facilities District / Mello-Roos-Related Questions

How can the school district use the Mello-Roos tax paid in the La Costa Valley Community Facilities District (CFD)?

The agreement with Fieldstone that created CFD 94-2 clearly outlines how the Mello-Roos taxes can be used. They are:
o To repay the school district’s CFD expenses and reimburse certain funds to the landowner.
o To pay for interim school facilities and all costs and expenses related to house students residing within the property or CFD, but not in excess of $700,000 in the aggregate.
o To acquire the school site (La Costa Valley) unless the school district determines not to acquire the school site.
o To purchase, construct, expand, improve and/or rehabilitate:
- Oak Crest Middle School
- Diegueño Middle School
- A new junior high school in south Carlsbad (La Costa Valley)
- San Dieguito High School Academy
- A new high school in south Carlsbad (La Costa Canyon HS)
- Sunset High School
- Adult education facilities
- Continuation high school

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 4

How have the students living in La Costa Valley benefited from the use of proceeds from CFD 94-2?

A total of $30.2 million from Mello-Roos has been spent on CFD 94-2 qualified facilities and another $2.5 million has been committed to be spent on the San Dieguito Academy Visual and Performing Arts Center.
The school district used CFD 94-2 funds on the following facilities benefiting the students living in La Costa Valley:
o La Costa Canyon HS
  􀂃 Fifth quad
  􀂃 8 classroom expansions
  􀂃 1300s building (12 classrooms)
  􀂃 Additional food service facilities
o Oak Crest MS Modernization
o San Dieguito Academy
  􀂃 Modernization
  􀂃 New Media Center
  􀂃 Stadium Lighting
  􀂃 Performing Arts Complex (Pending)
o Purchase of LCV site

Has the school district used Mello-Roos funds from CFD 94-2 to build Canyon Crest Academy?

No.

General Questions

What is the current plan for the school site?

The site was purchased with the intent to build a middle school. There are no other plans in place for the site.
The school district is currently creating a Facilities Action Plan that will address issues affecting all of our school sites, including La Costa Valley. The plan will be developed in a series of public facilities workshops throughout the next year. Any recommendations to change the use of that property would be brought out in that process.

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 5

Why was there a sign on the property advertising it as a Future Middle School?

Fieldstone erected the sign before the school district purchased the land, although the school district allowed it to stand for several years.

What is the unused site fee?

The state imposes a fee on school sites if they are not being used after a certain period. The school district is currently exploring exemptions that would either reduce or eliminate the fee entirely.
No bond proceeds were used to pay this fee. The school district used funds collected from developers who pre-paid special taxes and excess special taxes after debt service within CFD 94-2 to cover this expense.

Why did the school district put a fence around the site?

After the school district received reports and complaints of motorcyclists and BMX bikes riding on the property, the fence was put up to reduce liability, eliminate further complaints from the neighbors, and also to help protect the hillside owned and maintained by the homeowners association.

Why has the school district hired lawyers to advise it in this matter?

The school district frequently consults with legal counsel on a variety of issues in order to ensure it is acting appropriately and within the law. It is also the school district’s practice to retain counsel when the school district is threatened with litigation, when attorneys contact us, or if we know potential litigants have retained their own counsel-all of which have occurred in this matter.

Why can’t our children go to Diegueño Middle School?

They may. Any middle school student may apply for an intra-district transfer to any other middle school in the district. Students will be accepted as long as there is capacity. There is currently excess capacity at Diegueño for intra-district transfers.

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 6

Surplus (Sale or Lease) Questions

Has the school district decided to sell the La Costa Valley site?

No.

There is a well defined and very public process a school district needs to follow before it can sell a piece of property. This process is described below. The school district has not gone through this process.

What is the process for declaring the land as surplus?

According to California Education Code sections 17387-17391, the school district would convene a “7/11 Committee” to determine if a particular site could be considered surplus property. The committee would have between 7 and 11 members with representation from:
• The ethnic, age group, socio-economic composition of the district
• The business community, such as owners, managers or supervisors
• Landowners or renters, with preference given to representatives of neighborhood associations
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Parents of students
• Persons with expertise in environmental impact, legal contracts, building codes, and land use planning etc.

The committee’s function is to:
• Review enrollment and other data
• Create a priority list of uses of surplus property that would be acceptable to the community
• Communicate with the community regarding potential uses or sale of surplus property
• Hold public hearings to provide community input
• Make a final determination as to the use of surplus property
• Forward a report with their recommendations to the Board of Trustees for their consideration

Has the school district formed a 7/11 Committee?

No.

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 7

How does the school district go about selling a property?

After the 7/11 Committee had completed their work and the required public hearings were completed, the Board of Trustees would adopt a resolution at a public meeting declaring its intent to sell the property. The property could then be sold subject to California Education Code section 17464.

If the school district decides to sell LCV, will the homeowners have any say in the process?

Should the district ever need to convene a 7/11 committee, it would be required to have representation from the community with preference given to representatives of neighborhood associations.

What happens to the proceeds if the land is sold?

The school district has not fully investigated this, as there are currently no plans to sell the site.

Is the school district using, or planning to use, our Mello-Roos taxes or proceeds from the sale of the La Costa Valley site to cover state budget cuts or for retirement benefits?

No.

Building funds cannot be diverted to the general fund or used for other operating expenses unrelated to facilities.
Additionally, there are no plans to sell the property.

If the land is sold, is the first priority that it be used as low-income/high density housing?

No, the first priority would not be low-income/high density housing.
Provisions of the Education Code (discussed below) require that the land be offered for parks, open space or other governmental purposes first. Also, if the area is not zoned for high-density housing, it is not likely that the land could be used for that purpose unless the City of Carlsbad approves a zoning change and General Plan amendment.
The general priorities for selling surplus school sites listed in California Education Code section 17464, are:

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 8

• First, for park and recreational purposes
• Second, for sale or lease at fair market value to state and local public agencies
• Third, in any other legal manner
Although the provisions of Government Code section 54220 et seq. (including GC 54222) are generally applicable to school districts as well as other public agencies, more specific provisions of law found in the Education Code apply only to school districts and would be implemented first.
After following the priorities in the Education Code, the subsequent priorities would be those recommended by the 7/11 Committee to the Board of Trustees.

Can the school district guarantee that the land will not be sold for low-income/high density housing?

Should there ever be a determination to sell the La Costa Valley property, there is no obligation for the school district to sell it to be used as low-income or high-density housing. The school district would follow the legal procedures outlined in sections 17464, 17458, and 17489, before applying the procedures in Government Code section 54220 et seq.
Additionally, the underlying zoning for the land in question is for low density residential, which would preclude development of high-density housing in that particular location.
It is unlikely that the list of priority uses developed by a 7/11 Committee comprised of community members would recommend disposing the property to be used for such a purpose.
Finally, it is counter-intuitive to sell an unnecessary school site to be used in a way that would in turn generate a large volume of students and create a need for additional school housing.

Who controls the zoning of the school site?

The City of Carlsbad has discretionary authority to approve or deny any proposed changes to the zoning of the property or General Plan amendment.

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 9

LCV FAQ 8/19/2008 Page 10

Facilities Action Plan Questions

The school district recently hired a firm to help it create a Facilities Action Plan. What is that about?

The school district and the Board of Trustees are looking at how all of our properties are used. This plan will be developed in a series of public facilities workshop meetings over the course of the next twelve to eighteen months. The final report will address all of the facility issues facing our schools and recommend a plan to align each of our properties with the district’s priorities.

Is the Facilities Action Plan Task Force a 7/11 Committee?

No.

What else do we need to know?

The award-winning San Dieguito Union High School District is one of the nation’s finest school districts offering a wealth of academic and extracurricular opportunities in which its students can engage and excel.
The San Dieguito Union High School District has something for every student with hundreds of academic, athletic, and extracurricular activities for middle and high school students.
The school district has a track record of outstanding academic achievement.
All of the school district’s traditional schools score over 800 in the Academic Performance Index (API).
SDUHSD students have high acceptance rates at colleges and universities across the nation.
The school district serves more than 12,300 students in grades 7 through 12 in an 85 square mile area including the communities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, La Costa, Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Cardiff, and Rancho Santa Fe.
Elementary students in grades kindergarten through 6 attend schools operated by Encinitas Union School District, Solana Beach School District, Del Mar Union School District, Cardiff Elementary School District and Rancho Santa Fe School District (K-8).

- end of document -

Buying out the vacant land – what straw poll shows

On this website in May, we asked La Costa Valley homeowners how much they would be willing to pay to simply buy the vacant land from the school district. (see the original article and poll results) Note: this is not a legally binding vote, does not represent all homeowners, and may not even be an option for us. Just the same, like every straw poll, it gives a better view of how things might turn out.

Based on the latest results, only a fraction of LCV homeowners have the will, interest or financial foresight to make any substantial committment.

Half said they would not be willing to pay any assessment. Just over a quarter (27%) said they’d pay up to $1,000 in the next 12 months. 12% said they’d pay up to $5,000. And 4% said they’d pay up to $10,000, 4% up to $25,000 and 4% up to $100,000. Taken all together, this amounts to about $6-$7 million dollars. Certainly a tidy sum, but only a fraction of the property’s value, even in these market conditions.

• If you’re a strong supporter of FONC and want La Costa Valley Homeowners to take this property into their own hands, then you need to get involved and convince your neighbors to pony up a bit more.
• If you’re a private property developer (many live in La Costa Valley), this straw poll shows will need to find additional financing beyond what the homeowners will come up with.
• If you’re one of the 50% of homeowners that doesn’t want to pay your share, then talk to your neighbors and the HOA board. If there is an assessment, it is likely that every homeowner will need to pay their share.

Overlooked law ties school districts’ hands

There is a little-known law which controls what a school district can and can’t do with property they own.

The Naylor Act (Education Code sections 17485-1750) requires school districts, who propose to lease or sell land used for outdoor recreation and open space land suited for recreational purposes, to offer to lease or sell a portion of the land at discount to either a city or county, whichever has jurisdiction.

School District Meeting about La Costa Valley – June 23rd

Did you ever read something from a governmental agency that you’re sure says something, but then again, its not quite clear in what it says?

Taxpayers in La Costa Valley and beyond should have received a mailing from the SDUHSD entitled “Community Information Session” and District Facilities Action Plan Overview of Process.

Reading between the lines, as they talk about a “multi-step analysis of all District sites and facilities” this certainly involves the vacant property in La Costa Valley.

More information is promised on the SDUHSD.NET website.

If you’re interested, attend the meeting at Oak Crest Middle School’s Crest Hall on June 23rd at 6pm.