In an effort to counteract revenue losses, the Orcutt Union School District is moving forward with plans to lease district-owned land for the development of about 250 senior housing units in Old Town Orcutt.
The plan would require the rezoning of nearly 10 acres of land, located between Soares Avenue and Rice Ranch Road, purchased originally for the construction of a primary school.
District officials said declining enrollment figures have made it necessary to develop the property into an ongoing revenue stream.
“We thought we were in a growth mode and we’re not,” said District Superintendent of Business Affairs Marysia Ochej. “We would prefer to keep the property, but this is one of the few ways we can make money during this fiscal crisis.”
Several Orcutt residents have publicly voiced opposition to the Senior Care plan. At a meeting with representatives from the district and Santa Barbara County Planning Commission on Jan. 7, Chuck Williams, former president of the now-defunct Residents For Old Town Orcutt Preservation, cited safety concerns and the potential for overcrowding in the area.
Williams said he’s not against housing for seniors but takes umbrage with taxpayer-funded land being used for that purpose.
“Schoolteachers shouldn’t be involved in financial investments,” Williams said. “That’s for the private sector. This land was bought for soccer fields and school expansion, not housing.”
The district’s Ochej said not only does the state allow school districts to lease land to private investors, but it has encouraged the practice.
“School districts are doing this all over the state,” she explained. “As dollars are shrinking, it’s forcing districts to look outside of the box. We can’t depend on the state for the money we need.”
Ochej called the plan a “win-win situation” for the district and the Orcutt community.
“As far as dollars go, we could go out and try to do a bond, but this way we don’t have to rely on the taxpayers,” Ochej said. “We’ve been ahead of the curve on this one. We’re just going through the process and hoping for the best outcome.”
There are currently no specific plans in place for development of the property. According to county planner John Zorovich, the Planning Commission is preparing to hire a consultant to draft an Environmental Impact Report on the rezone. Once completed, the draft will be sent out for public comment and review.
The rezone would increase the density of the land from eight to 20 units per acre, Zorovich said, creating the potential for 257 new senior dwellings.
If the EIR is approved, the district will then look for a developer to sign a 60- or 90-year lease on the land, Ochej said.
This article appears in Jan 14-21, 2010.
