City seeks legal advice on its role in gymnasium plan

Angelique Flores

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- The City Council is seeking legal advice on its

ability to step in and help resolve disputes surrounding the Ocean View

School District’s gymnasium/auditorium project.

In a 5-2 vote Feb. 20, with council members Ralph Bauer and Shirley

Dettloff dissenting, the City Council called for the city attorney’s

office to examine whether Huntington Beach can involve itself with the

district’s plans.

“This puts the City Council and the school board in an adversarial

relationship,” Supt. Jim Tarwater said. “The 5-2 vote clearly sends a

message that this is not a community that is child-centered. That’s sad

to me.”

While district officials are not happy with the council’s decision,

residents opposed to the gyms feel they may now have some allies to

support their cause.

“We’ve got the attention of the City Council, consequently we are

making headway,” said Spring View resident Fred Frangione. “Rightly so,

[the city] should get involved.”

Residents opposed to the gyms and the possibility of them being rented

because of concerns with traffic, noise and parking have contacted

council members with the matter.

“I want to see if the city can mitigate those impacts,” said

Councilwoman Connie Boardman, who requested the information. “If there’s

no legal way, then there’s no legal way.”

Residents are glad that the city will at least take a look into its

role, if there is one.

“We’re very, very happy the city has taken the initiative to help us

out in this way, but it still seems like a bumpy road,” said resident

Stefan Rubendall. “It means that the city is willing to take the proper

steps to ensure that its residents are looked after and protected.”The

city, however, does not have any authority over what the district does on

its property. But if the district were to lease the gyms for commercial

use, the city would have the jurisdiction to get involved.

“There are no plans to go to commercial, there never has been,”

Trustee Carol Kanode said.

A year ago, the district asked the cities of Huntington Beach and

Fountain Valley if either had any interest in renting the facility in a

joint-use agreement for sports programs.

“Our sports needs assessment showed that we have a lack of gymnasiums

and we would use them,” said Ron Hagan, Huntington Beach’s director of

community services. “Our plan is not for commercial use.”

The community services department is not endorsing it nor

participating in the design and funding for the gyms, Hagan said.

However, if the district builds them, the city would use them.

“The whole purpose of a gymnasium/auditorium is for students,” said

Tarwater, who feels the community is losing sight of the original goals

of the gymnasium/auditorium. “Everyone says ‘gymnasium,’ but it’s also an

auditorium, a locker room, a multipurpose room. It’s not just for a few

rainy days, it will be used throughout the year . . . I would think the

city would be supporting us 100%, and I don’t see any of that.”

But some council members do support the district.

“City councils handle city business, boards handle school-related

matters,” said Dettloff, apprehensive about interfering while the

district is still in the process of making decisions about the gyms and

their use. “I have great trust in the school board making the decision

that they feel meets the needs of the community and most importantly,

meets the needs of the children. I’d like to leave it in their

well-informed hands.”

The board is waiting to hear from the Community Advisory Committee for

recommendations before approving rental of the gyms.

“We understand the neighborhood’s concerns, but we also want to do the

best for our children,” Tarwater said.