Four sites make the cut for new Alpine high school

By Chris Mac Kenzie
The Alpine Sun

     EL CAJON — The Alpine community showed an extraordinary presence at the Grossmont Union High School District’s school board meeting on Thursday, Sept. 14. At the meeting board members and residents heard the results of the online research study regarding the district’s new high school in the Alpine area.
     Darryl Hernandez from Essentia, the company chosen by GUHSD to research the possible future 12th high school location, was in attendance, and his presentation was slated under the fourth item to be discussed after the opening of the public session.
     When the time finally arose for communications from the public, several Alpine residents proudly approached the podium and addressed the board. The first Alpine resident, Matt Schumski, announced his candidacy, as he is running for the Alpine Union Elementary School Board of Trustees, and then continued after a brief approval of the GUHSD board, stipulated his strong desire for a high school in Alpine.
     The next Alpine resident that approached the board was Delia Cooley who began by thanking the board for their support for an Alpine high school and after an explanation that she had taught in the Grossmont District, expressed her wishes that GUHSD teachers teach her own children who are now 8, 5 and 2, in their future high school careers.
     George Barnett was also present to make his wishes known to the board about their current 12th high school project. He commended them on their momentous decision making abilities as well as their execution of those decisions. However, he brought them his concern that the next board uphold the same commitment that this current board has held in the future construction project hopefully taking place in Alpine.
     Terry King stood up next to also make her wishes known regarding the high school project. Her wishes were that the district continue the momentum for the Alpine high school project so that her own children, who are 7 and 2, can one day attend a high school in Alpine.
     Finally, Bill Weaver said his peace. He reiterated and reaffirmed the desire to have the high school located in Alpine, and he was anxiously awaiting Essentia’s report of the study sites.
     Other Alpine personalities spotted in the room included, Steve Hunyar, Mark Price and Chuck Taylor.
     Two hours after the meeting began, Darryl Hernandez began his presentation. He presented the top four choices for the 12th high school location, brought out of the on-line survey. The criteria for the choices set forth was: Safety, location, environment, topography, size and shape, accessibility, public services, utilities, cost, availability and public acceptance.
     Alpine participated in this survey with a whopping 700 responses and 253 comments.
     The top four choices from Alpine residents include: 287 responses in favor of study area J on Alpine Boulevard; the Lazy A Ranch, 257 responses were in favor of study area C, Tavern Road Property, 244 responses were in favor of study area G, Chocolate Summit Road, behind the current Los Coches Creek Middle School, and the last choice considered, with 175 responses in favor, was the Wright’s Field location.
     The discussion on this topic continued for another 45 minutes. Hernandez covered the comments that were submitted. The general consensus of the comments was that Alpine residents were concerned with the traffic that will be created and its management. They were generally opposed to displacing homes and business, they were opposed to using eminent domain powers and they were also opposed to using Wright’s Field.
     Hernandez expressed the need to further whittle these selections down to only two study sites, and GUHSD Superintendent Terry Ryan agreed that the board would need this information expedited in the next two or three months so that things can continue to proceed.
     The meeting continued with the board members discussing what studies would have to take place to determine how much it would cost to turn the first shovel of dirt. The board also recognized that each of the selected study sites had issues to over come that range from environmental and access to topographical problems as well as possible future legal actions.
     This topic in the agenda closed with the board directing Essentia to move forward in their research of the four selected study sites and narrow the selection down to only two study sites as soon as possible.
 

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