City OKs Plan to Seek New Tenant for Aliso Elementary

Aliso Elementary School will close its doors June 30, but the Saddleback Valley School District does not plan to have it sit vacant for long.

On Thursday, the Planning Commission gave the district the go-ahead to request bids for a new tenant for the 8.15-acre property at 22882 Loumont Drive.

Commissioners assured concerned parents that if the proposed lessee is not an appropriate one, the Planning Commission will revisit the issue.

At this point, however, the city is simply saying that the district's proposed use of the site—renting to a private school for K-8 students—conforms with the city's plan for long-term growth and development.

Parent Rob Lange, who has headed the group challenging the district's choice to close Aliso, urged the commission to put a stop to the district's plans.

He accused the district of violating the Naylor Act, which says that the district must offer the property up for lease or purchase by the city or county for use as recreational space before looking to lease.

"I ask that you remove this resolution from the consent calendar tonight and give yourself time to do your due diligence," he asked the Planning Commission.

He also expressed concerns about Little League teams' ability to use the fields if another school moves in.

"I think that’s no small part of what needs to be taken into consideration," Lange said.

However, the commission felt that those concerns were addressed fully when Saddleback Valley Unified's assistant superintendent of business,  Geri Partida, spoke, assuring commissioners that the district is complying with the Naylor Act and intends to write a clause into any lease document keeping recreational use at the site unchanged.

"We’re very much in support of that staying the same," Partida said.

The district has said it hopes to have the school back up and running with a new tenant by fall.