SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – The San Diego Unified School District wants to lease the land at the corner of Scripps Poway parkway and Spring Canyon Road, but residents have big concerns over the massive project.
On Wednesday the Scripps Ranch School Committee unanimously voted to oppose the closure of a charter school to build a massive apartment complex on school land.
Wednesday’s vote will carry weight with community input when the schools board votes on the project.
Sending a clear message, Innovation Academy parents and students are against closing down their charter school in Scripps Ranch for a 300,000-square-foot apartment complex.
“The school has already moved three times so we definitely need to stay,” said sixth grade student Brendan Mahar.
But the San Diego Unified School District is proposing to close the school with 350 students and lease it to the Monarch Development Group for 66-years to build 264 apartment units and a community garden.
“The construction of a new district facility that is being built by the developer at no cost to us and feature hands on education for our students,” said Midori Wong, Special Projects Director for Facility Planning and Construction.
A group of "Save Scripps Ranch" gripped their signs to show their opposition during a Scripps Ranch School community meeting Wednesday night concerned about traffic and the joint use with a school lab.
School Board Trustee Kevin Beiser who serves Scripps Ranch said the development at the corner of Scripps Poway Parkway and Spring Canyon Road goes against the community plan of having one-story buildings.
This four-story apartment building would be a total eyesore. It would run against the wishes of the community because everything in the neighborhood is one story tall,” said SDUSD Board Member Kevin Beiser.
The district says this development would generate $37-million.
Officials have not decided where to move the charter school - and said the farmer's market can be moved to other school property in the area or nearby land.