This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Tuesday, January 9, 2007.
By BOB WILSON Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Los Angeles County education officials want to build a new school for 189 unruly and troubled students next to McAdam Park. City officials don't want the proposed Antelope Valley Academy there, saying it would conflict with the Palmdale General Plan, but they say they lack the power to stop it if county officials insist on the location.

In a 5-0 decision, Palmdale's planning commissioners said Thursday that construction of the 40,406-square-foot school on 4.7 acres along 30th Street East south of Palmdale Boulevard Ð between McAdam Park and a Brunswick bowling alley Ð would violate city planning and zoning regulations and cause disruptions for nearby properties.

"You couldn't pick a worse place to put a school for troubled youth,' planning commissioner Spencer Berg said.

After its decision, the commission directed staff to advise the county Office of Education of its vote and the reasons for its conclusion. The commission's action, however, may not prevent the county from ignoring city regulations and moving ahead with plans to build the school. The Office of Education has the state-granted authority to ignore local regulations when seeking sites for such schools, said Asoka Herath, Palmdale's director of planning.

At present, the school site is zoned for large retail stores or shopping centers, and the category does not allow for schools, Herath said. No representatives from the county spoke during last week's commission meeting.

On Monday, Rick de la Torre, public relations officer for the county Office of Education, said the commission's determination will not deter the project.

"We think it's a great proposal for the (Antelope) Valley, and it's going to better serve the students up there,' de la Torre said. Despite the commission's finding, "We think it's a good investment for us as a public-school agency and we think it's a good investment for the students,' he said. "We are certainly optimistic about our proposal, and we are ready to help the planning commission or the City Council get more information about it. We will be happy to be attending any of the meetings up there and answer any questions they may have,' de la Torre said.

Alexander Abbe, the planning commission's legal advisor, said most school officials ignore local rules when their own projects are an issue. "In practicality É all school districts do it; they all exempt themselves from local regulations, and our powers to regulate them are very limited,' Abbe told commissioners during Thursday's meeting.

Students who would go to the school currently attend classes in a former church on the southeast corner of 10th Street West and Technology Drive (Avenue P-8), city assistant planner Jaclyn Lee said. The students are in the school because they have been expelled from others or referred by other institutions; placed on probation for criminal behavior; or reassigned because of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, Lee's report to the commission showed.

When the present school was established in November 1997, county education officials bypassed city zoning regulations by declaring a public need, records show. The 10th Street West location drew opposition to the school from city officials and neighborhood residents, but the county signed a contract to rent the property for at least seven years from Faith Community Church at a rate of $5,000 per month. "The Office of Education adopted a resolution that the city's rules and regulations did not apply to them,' Herath said Thursday. "Therefore, they proceeded with their own plans.'

Last year, Palmdale sheriff's deputies received 48 reports of trouble at or near the current school, Lee said. Of those calls, 10 were about fights or physical assaults, three were about suspected drug use, and others were about thefts, threats, truancy or other disturbances, she said. The calls included fights at the school between students, attacks on teachers by students and possession of marijuana and crack cocaine by students. Planning Commission Chairman John Mayfield said Sheriff's Department records indicate county education officials "haven't done a very good job of policing that area or ensuring safety.'

"When that school went in, we were promised that it would be ideal Ð that all the kids would be in uniforms, and that there would be no problems,' Mayfield said.

McAdam Park is intended to be a safe place for residents to have fun outdoors, and the bowling facility should be a safe place for people to have fun indoors, the chairman continued. "We're trying to cut down on the amount of graffiti that we have, and the amount of loitering, and et cetera,' he said. Building the school "will import more of what we do not want,' Mayfield said. Commission

Vice Chairwoman Lori Ontiveros said, "There are a lot of things that could start occurring (at McAdam Park) that aren't occurring now, and we should protect against that.' Putting such students "next to a park and a bowling alley doesn't make sense,' Berg said. "It's a totally inappropriate place for the school to be, given the history,' commissioner Fred Thompson said.

In addition to citing opposition to the location of the new school, Thompson said he also wanted staff to apprise the county of the commission's displeasure with the operation of the current school. "You need to stress the fact that we are unhappy' with the school on 10th Street West, Thompson said. "It's a problem in its current location, and we foresee even bigger problems with this (new) site.'

Commissioner Vincent Dino's affirmative vote showed that he agreed with his colleagues.

bwilson@avpress.com

PALMDALE - Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich wants county education officials to drop plans to construct a school for unruly and troubled youths near McAdam Park and look for another location.

Los Angeles County Office of Education and Palmdale officials are scheduled to confer next week at a meeting arranged by Antonovich to talk about different locations for the school, which city officials also don't want next to the park on 30th Street East south of Palmdale Boulevard.

"The supervisor is adamant that this is not a good location for that school. He recognized the public safety concerns, and so he has asked us to coordinate with the city to look at some different sites," Antonovich aide Norm Hickling said. "Everybody recognizes that the need for this type of school is necessary, but it needs to meet the General Plan of the city, it needs to meet the needs of the education office, and it needs to meet the needs of the students."

Proposed on 4.7 acres between McAdam Park and a Brunswick bowling alley, the Antelope Valley Academy would be attended by teens who are on probation for criminal behavior; have been expelled from other schools or referred by other institutions; or were reassigned from other schools because of physical, emotional or sexual abuse. The teens now attend school in a leased former church building on 10th Street West

City planning commissioners on Jan. 4 said that putting the 40,406-square-foot school there would violate city planning and zoning regulations and cause disruptions for nearby properties. But the city lacks authority to prevent county education officials from building the school. The school site is zoned for large retail stores or shopping centers, and the category does not allow for schools.

Rick de la Torre, public relations officer for the county Office of Education, on Jan. 8 indicated city opposition would not deter construction of the Antelope Valley Academy.

"We think it's a good investment for us as a public school agency and we think it's a good investment for the students," de la Torre said.

To resolve the matter, Antonovich - whose 5th District jurisdiction includes the Antelope Valley - has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday with Hickling, his field deputy; representatives of Palmdale; and representatives of the county education office.

"I've already sat down with the mayor and the city manager (of Palmdale) and shared with them the concerns the supervisor has with the way this all played out and with placing that school next to a family park," Hickling said Wednesday. "We immediately set up a meeting É with all the players.".

Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said the land next to the park is not a good location for the school. He also questions why the county would want to pay for commercial land to build a school that could go in many other places. "As a community, we feel that any alternate location should be evaluated and studied" before a decision to build is reached, he said. The city wants to have a voice not only on the ultimate location but also on architectural design characteristics and security, he said.

The mayor also said that supervision of the teens at the current school "has been dismal." Last year, Palmdale sheriff's deputies received 48 calls about trouble at or near the current school, records show. Of those calls, 10 were about fights or physical assaults; three were about suspected drug use; and others were about thefts, threats, truancy or other disturbances. The calls included fights at the school between students, attacks on teachers by students and possession of marijuana and crack cocaine by students. "The existing facility is a terrible partner. There have been too many calls for service," Ledford said. "Wherever they go, we are going to expect better performance than what we've gotten."

The good of the community and the safety of the public have to be balanced against the needs of the students and the education office, Hickling said. Building the school at that location despite city regulations and objections "is just not right," Hickling said. "We want to get everybody at the same table to work through the issues, and we will find a better site for it," Hickling said.

bwilson@avpress.com