District looks at senior housing options

Andrew Wainer

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- Two developers vying for a contract to develop senior

housing at a closed school site presented proposals to the Fountain

Valley School District Board of Trustees on Tuesday night.

Irvine’s KD Housing and Metropolitan of El Segundo are competing to lease

the site from the district to build 150 affordable senior apartments and

a senior center at the former Fountain Valley Elementary School on the

corner of Talbert Avenue and Bushard Street.

The district hopes the lease will bring in $300,000 in annual fees, which

would be used to upgrade facilities at its other schools.

Assistant Supt. Steve McMahon said the decision to lease the site for

senior housing and a senior center was designed to accommodate the local

community. The idea of putting a senior center on the site was initially

presented to the board by the city two years ago.

“The city told us there was a need for senior housing, and the residents

wanted to ensure that their property values were maintained,” McMahon

said. “They didn’t want a huge apartment complex or a noisy commercial

development.”

Fountain Valley Seniors club member Warren Diaz said the senior center

will be a change for the better.

“This town doesn’t have a real senior center,” Diaz said. “They also need

some affordable housing because seniors are on fixed incomes.”

Besides leasing most of the property for senior housing, the district

plans to sell about a third of the site for single-family homes. McMahon

said this part of the property would accommodate 31 homes and net the

district $2 million to $4 million.

McMahon said the development plan is ideal for the district’s financial

needs.

“It’s attractive because we will receive several million upfront and also

develop a revenue stream from the lease,” McMahon said. “It will also not

have a large enrollment impact on the school district and impinge on

property values.”

Income from the site will be used to cover facility maintenance costs,

McMahon said. Painting, carpeting, floor removal and additional

playgrounds are some of the projects district officials said they will

undertake with the money.McMahon said he expects the board to choose

between the two bidders this month, but added that it will be 12 to 18

months until the project gets underway.