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DATE:
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May 5, 2009
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TO:
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Board of Supervisors
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SUBJECT:
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SECURING HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE AT SAN PASQUAL ACADEMY (District: ALL)
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SUMMARY:
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Overview
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In 2004, the San Pasqual Academy Visionary Plan (Plan) was created through a collaborative process between the County and its community partners to provide guidance for the future physical development of the Academy. The Plan includes facilities, the best placement options for the facilities, infrastructure requirements and management of costs of future development. A significant component included the development of new recreational fields/facilities for football, softball and baseball and track and field in the existing orchards at the northern portion of the campus. On February 7, 2007, our Board unanimously approved the San Pasqual Academy Visionary Plan, modification to the Major Use Permit and environmental findings to allow the new recreational development.
An integral part of growing up and developing critical life skills is involvement in sports and other social activities. Through these experiences young people cultivate healthy relationships and learn skills such as team work, respecting authority and patience are crucial to the future success of youth becoming self-sufficient.
Today, I am asking for your support to direct the Department of General Services to enter into lease negotiations with Witman Ranch to determine the cost of obtaining rights to land designated in the San Pasqual Academy Visionary Plan for the sports fields, and return to the Board with terms of lease and associated cost for the acquisition. This is an initial step in the planning process and is necessary in determining the overall budget to construct the sports fields.
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Recommendation(s)
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SUPERVISOR ROBERTS
1. Find that the Negative Declaration (ND) and Subsequent ND on file in the Department of Planning and Land Use as MUP No. P74-006W3have been completed in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the state CEQA Guidelines and that the Board of Supervisors has reviewed and considered the information contained therein before approving the project; and
Find that there are no changes in the project or in the circumstances under which it is undertaken which involve significant new environmental impacts which were not considered in the previously adopted ND and Subsequent ND, or a substantial increase in the severity of previously identified significant effects, and that no new information of substantial importance has become available since the ND and Subsequent ND were adopted. Therefore, in accordance with CEQA Guidelines sections 15162 through 15164 find that no additional environmental review is necessary for this action.
2. Approve and authorize the Director, Department of General Service to negotiate a lease amendment with Witman Ranch granting the County an option to remove the land designated in the San Pasqual Academy Visionary Plan (2007) for sports fields from the lease.
3. Approve and authorize the Director, Department of General Services to negotiate a lease amendment with New Alternatives, Inc. granting New Alternatives, Inc. an option to add the land designated in the San Pasqual Academy Visionary Plan (2007) for sports fields to its existing lease.
4. Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to establish Capital Project 1013116 San Pasqual Academy Sports Field and identify funding in the amount of $16,000 to be used for county staff time and outside consultants to renegotiate leases with Witman Ranch and New Alternatives, Inc.
5. Direct Chief Administrative Officer to report to the Board with negotiated leases terms and associated costs of executing such leases.
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Fiscal Impact
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Funds for this request are not budgeted. If approved, this request will result in estimated costs of $16,000, with the funding source to be determined. No additional staff years are required. This action will result in the addition of no staff years and no future costs.
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Business Impact Statement
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N/A
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Advisory Board Statement
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N/A
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BACKGROUND:
In 1999, Supervisor Cox and I initiated efforts to develop an alternative placement for adolescent foster youth in San Diego County who were living in a variety of settings, most of which were not designed as long term placements. The County acquired and began refurbishing the San Pasqual Academy property in May 2000, using a combination of public and private funding sources to finance the purchase and for the initial renovations of the core campus facilities.
With unanimous support from our Board, the San Pasqual Academy (SPA) opened in October 2001 as a first-in-the-nation residential education campus designed to enhance the system of care for older foster youth. The campus is currently home to 136 students. Due to the recent expansion of six new residential cottages, in the near future, the campus will grow by an additional 48 foster youth.
The Academy sits on approximately 250 acres, most of which is occupied by agriculture or undeveloped land. The campus core is comprised of about 19 acres. The property is owned by the County of San Diego and, under contract, New Alternatives, Inc. provides foster care services to the youth and maintains the property. Infrastructure, such as the sewage treatment plant, roads and water supply, are maintained by the County. The County Office of Education leases part of the property to operate the school as well as the San Diego Workforce Partnership who operates the Work Readiness and Self-Sufficiency Program.
In 2004, the San Pasqual Academy Visionary Plan (Plan) was created through a collaborative process between the County and its community partners to provide guidance for the future physical development of the Academy. The Plan includes facilities, the best placement options for the facilities, infrastructure requirements and management of costs of future development. A significant component included the development of new recreational fields/facilities for football, softball and baseball, and track and field in the existing orchards at the northern portion of the campus. On February 7, 2007, our Board unanimously approved the San Pasqual Academy Visionary Plan, modification to the Major Use Permit and environmental findings to allow the new recreational development.
Today, I am asking for your support to direct the Department of General Services to enter into lease negotiations with Witman Ranch to determine the cost to obtain rights to land designated in the Plan for the sports fields, and return to the Board with terms of lease and associated cost for the acquisition. This is an initial step in the planning process and is necessary in determining the overall budget to construct the sports fields.
An integral part of growing up and developing critical life skills is involvement in sports and other social activities. Through these experiences, young people cultivate healthy relationships and learn skills such as team work, respecting authority and patience which are crucial to the future success of youth becoming self-sufficient.
More often than not, foster youth living in group home settings frequently move around to several different placements while growing up in the foster youth system. This lifestyle causes them to be unable to participate in extra-curricular activities due to limited resources and lack of options for traveling to practices, games and other gatherings as well as bouncing from school to school. The lack of belonging and engaging in activities on a continuous basis often leaves foster youth feeling disconnected and disinterested in their education and their community.
The San Pasqual Academy Dragons sports program is a vehicle for the student body to express their commitment and enthusiasm toward their school and home; building a sense of community that we only dreamed was possible. This was particularly evident with the football team. Up until about a year ago, the Dragons played in an eight-man football division. Home games were often well attended by supporters who cheered on the team, such as the teachers, students, staff from the various agencies on campus, neighbors like the volunteer Fire Department, and other on-lookers from the opposing team. It was evident that the students felt pride in hosting the opposing team on their home turf. As a byproduct, students and families from around the county were made aware of the unique foster youth campus which resulted in new found partners and champions for our cause.
As reflected by the football team’s victory as California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Citrus League Champions and taking second place among CIF eight-man teams in San Diego County. The football program has grown and matured, advancing them in to the regulation sized division; this is a competitive group of athletes. Playing in an 11-man division precludes them from using the temporary field located on campus for their home games. During the last football season, all of their games were played off campus, thus losing home field advantage. In turn, the sense of community and camaraderie that the football games brought to the students and campus family has faded a bit. The cost and staff time related to the football program has increased because of the need to travel to each game.
There is consensus among school faculty, staff, students and community partners that the football field be the first project constructed among the sports complex to be developed in the orange groves, so we can bring back that home field advantage and hopefully more CIF titles.
As I have received numerous verbal commitments from private donors and organizations who want to make this happen, the private support is there. I am requesting public support be there too by moving forward with the renegotiating of the orange grove lease.
I urge your support.
Respectfully submitted,
RON ROBERTS
Supervisor, Fourth District
