School District Relents on Site for High School

Bowing to the will of community members, the Los Angeles Unified School District backed down Monday from its contention that a 12.6-acre former Gemco department store site is the best place to build a high school in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

“We are starting from square one, from ground zero,” said Bob Niccum, the school district’s director of real estate and asset management. “There is no longer a preferred site.”

That does not mean that the Gemco site is ruled out, Niccum said, but that the district is more open to researching other properties, including a Department of Water and Power site in Sun Valley suggested by state Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar).

School officials said opposition from at least 200 members of an Arleta Neighborhood Watch group caused the district to put off an environmental impact report, which was scheduled to begin this month.

“We thought it was best to hear from more community members,” Niccum said.

Neighbors of the Gemco site said they fear a high school would cause crime, traffic, noise and litter. They have also said they favor plans by Mexico City-based food retailer Grupo Gigante to build a shopping center, which they believe would provide an economic boost to the area.