Agency Opposes School District Bid for Base Parcel

The Tustin Planning Commission weighed in Tuesday on the Santa Ana Unified School District’s attempt to obtain a chunk of the former Tustin Marine base, saying there’s no room on the property for three new schools.

Tustin and the school district are engaged in an escalating feud over the land, a 75-acre parcel in the base’s southwest corner that falls within the district’s boundaries.

Tustin, the lead agency responsible for planning the base’s post-military use, has denied the district’s request to build an elementary school, an intermediate school and a high school there.

But last month, school district officials declared that they mean to acquire the land, with or without Tustin’s help.

The base land is “the last frontier in the school district,” said Martin N. Burton, an attorney for the district. “There aren’t any sites left to build a high school, and we need three high schools.”

Planning commissioners recommended Tuesday that the school district look elsewhere, citing city reports that show Tustin needs to sell the land to pay for the base’s development.

Tustin could sell the land to private developers for $30 million to $60 million, which would be used to build roads, storm drains, street lights and other projects on the former base, city officials said. The city is expected to make about $1 million per year in tax revenue from commercial businesses planned for the site where Santa Ana Unified wants to build the schools.

“Why should our city, Tustin, take responsibility for Santa Ana’s lack of planning and foresight [in dealing with] their overcrowding problem?” asked former Commissioner Tony Kawashima, who recently resigned to run for a City Council seat.

Tustin City Manager William A. Huston said the city is willing to compromise with the school district.

But “they’re not going to get 75 acres,” he said. “If push comes to shove, and they want to file a lawsuit, they know the way to the courthouse.”

Tustin has agreed to let Irvine and Tustin school districts build schools on 20 and 60 acres of the 1,600-acre property, respectively. City officials said those districts would draw students from families living on the property.

Adding to the complex entanglements with the property, the Rancho Santiago Community College District has reaffirmed a claim of 116 acres in the northwest corner of the base.

Santa Ana Unified school board President John Palacio said there are 24,000 Santa Ana district students within a 3-mile radius of the proposed school site.

Palacio added that the school district would be happy to build anywhere on the base.

“If that property is too valuable, then find us another 75 acres, as long as the land is free and the streets and utilities are accessible,” he said.

Superintendent Al Mijares said the school district will continue to press Tustin for the land.

He said options include filing a lawsuit against the city or appealing to the Department of the Navy to help it acquire the land.

Alex Katz can be reached at (714) 966-5977.