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Residents discuss Alpine
high school site choices
By Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
ALPINE — About 78 people showed up for
the Grossmont Union High School District informational meeting
that was held last Wednesday, Feb. 4, to discuss and acquire
input from concerned citizens about the planned 12th high school
project. The statistics have been available now from the Draft
Environmental Impact Report for approximately one month, and
time is running out on the public’s ability to comment.
GUHSD Superintendent, Bob Collins, Assistant
Superintendent Scott Patterson, Media/PR Representative
Catherine Martin, and meeting moderator and Facilities Director,
Bob Keisling were on site for the district, to explain the
plans, and show the prepared maps of the proposed three sites
under consideration. Also available on the informational panel
was Darryl Hernandez, GUHSD Engineering Consultant Essentia’s
Engineer, who prepared the DEIR.
Sal Casamassima started of the meeting with an
introductory speech on behalf of the Alpine High School
Citizen’s Committee.
“I have resided in Alpine for nearly 10 years and have
a daughter in the 2nd grade at Boulder Oaks Elementary who, one
day, would love to attend high school in her home town of
Alpine,” he said. “The completion of the draft EIR by the
District is an important step in fulfilling the District’s
unambiguous promise and our long sought goal of a high school
for the Alpine/Blossom Valley area. The students, parents,
teachers, and community leaders in Alpine have waited many years
and have experienced numerous disappointments and broken
promises regarding a new high school.”
“We have also been dutifully paying property taxes
imposed under Prop H and now will be paying additional taxes
under Prop U. Prop H bond money was to deliver our school but so
far has failed to do so and now, with the passage of Prop U, we
have specific language and money dedicated to that same promise.
It is now time for it to happen,” Casamassima added.
After introductions, the first Alpine citizen to take
the microphone was Lou Russo, who urged everyone to remember
several things when preparing a comment to the GUHSD regarding
this project. His reminders included upcoming SDG&E’s Sunrise
Powerlink that will be running Electrical lines underground
through East Willows and Alpine Boulevard. He let everyone know
that the Political Action Group will be available to direct
information to you.
Darcy Jones also commented, asking for clarification on
Public Sewage, electricity, and water for any of the proposed
sites. Al Haven was present to support the fact that Alpine
citizens prefer an Alpine site rather than a Blossom Valley
site.
The only people that brought any opposition to the
meeting came from the Lazy A Ranch area. Lee DiBernardo proposed
that if GUHSD chose the Lazy A Ranch as their ultimate site,
please be fair in the purchasing of this land. He informed the
panel that he has been living on his ranch for approximately 28
years, he owns six acres, horses and has family members living
on his land as well.
DiBernardo reminded the panel that since this project
started discussions, real estate values have dropped
dramatically and he opposed anyone coming in and forcing him off
his land at cut rates. His closing statements reiterated his
desire for GUHSD to be fair in their purchasing practices in
this project.
The three potential high school sites that are the
subject of the draft EIR were culled from an original list of
about 18 potential sites. A web survey of Alpine and Blossom
Valley residents was conducted that focused on a dozen of those
sites and about 750 people responded. Based on the survey and
other information, the District narrowed the dozen sites down to
four.
The Site Selection Subcommittee, that was part of the
Bond Advisory Commission, subsequently voted on and recommended
the top three sites out of the four and these three were then
approved by the Grossmont Governing Board for the EIR process.
The Site Selection Subcommittee had about 20 members, most who
are Alpine residents. What this demonstrates is that the folks
of Alpine have already had substantial input into the site
selection process to date and we are now providing a final round
of good faith input that will ultimately result in the selection
of one of these three sites.
“We recognize that individuals and organizations from
Alpine, Blossom Valley, and surrounding areas will have
differing views on which site is the best or the worst,”
Casamassima said. “Some folks will have environmental concerns.
Others will have concerns about traffic and noise and still
others may have a very direct concern – that their property may
be condemned. All of these concerns are legitimate.”
“We realize that whatever site is recommended there
will be objections and concerns. However, the choice of ‘none of
the above’ is not an acceptable option and at the end of the
day, after all comments are considered, a single preferred site
will have to be recommended.”
Anyone who wants to comment on the DEIR before it
becomes a final document, have until Feb. 23, to submit to the
Grossmont Union School District. Copies of the environmental
impact report are available for public viewing at the Alpine and
Lakeside libraries and the Grossmont district's headquarters in
El Cajon. The report can also be viewed online by visiting the
district's Web site at www.guhsd.net (click Prop H and Prop H
Construction News).
“This school is long overdue and our community should
not endure years of litigation or other sources of continued
delay,” Casamassima said. “The school opening is now scheduled
for the fall of 2013 and families living in or planning to move
to our community will begin relying on that schedule. Therefore,
we want that target date to be strictly maintained and, if
possible, moved up by a full year.”
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