Schools

El Toro Chargers Might Get Home Turf for the First Time

El Toro High School may get new bleachers and lighting on its football and track field, allowing its athletes to host home games.

The Chargers could face opponents on home turf for the first time under a district proposal that would add new bleachers, lighting, ticket booths and scoreboard to the football and track field.

Lake Forest's only public high school may finally get to host its own home games if the Saddleback Valley Unified School District plan to upgrade the stadium passes muster. The change would mean elimination of travel for El Toro teams to the stadium at Trabuco Hills High School, where they now compete.

"The proposed upgrades to the existing football and track field would provide state of the art facilities similar to those of surrounding cities," according to Noemi Avila-Zamudio, Saddleback Valley Unified School District's coordinator of facilities planning and construction.

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SVUSD is considering putting in 18 rows of new home side bleachers, able to fit 2,500 visitors, ADA ramps, and a vertical wheelchair lift to the pressbox. On the visitor side, the proposal suggests 11 rows of bleachers to hold approximately 1,729 people.

According to the study, the bleachers would be designed to mitigate noise. 

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The school would also get a concessions building with ticket booths and restrooms, accessible ramps and accessible parking. 

As part of the plan, lighting on four 80-foot poles would illuminate the field.

The project is currently in the preliminary schematic design stages. Next, it will undergo a review to see if its construction could have a significant negative impact on the environment. 

It's unclear how much the project would cost.

A public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday in the El Toro High gym to provide the community an opportunity to learn more about the project proposal.

SVUSD is accepting comments on the study describing the proposed project through June 12.

The public will also have a chance to comment on the draft report summarizing the environmental impacts of the project from June 29 through Aug. 13.

In September, the SVUSD board is scheduled to hold a hearing regarding the proposal.

Those interested in commenting on the proposal can send written comments to Noemi Avila-Zamudio, Coordinator, Facilities Planning & Construction Department at 25631 Peter A. Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 or to avilan@svusd.org.


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