|
|
|
Uploaded: Thursday, March 29, 2012, 4:16 PM
School district partners with San Ramon, Shappell Homes to solve overcrowding in Dougherty Valley
|
|
by Jessica Lipsky
Photo
 | The city of San Ramon, the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and Shapell Homes recently announced a partnership that designates land for a future park and elementary school in the Dougherty Valley. The school would be located on an 8.6-acre site one-half mile southwest of the Dougherty Station Community Center in an undeveloped area, next to a 30-acre park.
Shapell Homes will donate the land to SRVUSD, with the understanding that play fields will also serve as a permanent park for the city like other schools. There is no set development timeline for the project, which school district officials estimate will cost $31 million.
"This is a win for everyone," said San Ramon Mayor Bill Clarkson. "To develop more park space is a goal of our city. We also believe that this will help ease congestion in the community by pulling traffic away from other congested neighborhoods."
Officials expect the future elementary school to help alleviate the enrollment crunch at Dougherty Valley's four existing elementary schools, three of which house over 1,000 students in buildings meant for 900. Ultimately, the district hopes to reduce the number of families being diverted away from their neighborhood schools, as families from the Live Oak and Hidden Hills school areas have been.
Slowed down construction around Quail Run Elementary has allowed the district to divert students there, said SRDVUSD Community Relations Coordinator Terry Koehne. As home construction begins to pick up in the area, the more students will need to go to school.
The district had previously discussed jointly operating a multi-use facility with the city that could be used as an auxiliary school, but ultimately decided that a new elementary campus would be a better solution.
"We think this is in the best interest of the community, particularly as the homes in that area continue to be developed. As needs change, I suppose we will have to look at the existing facilities we have, the purposes they serve and adjust as the situation calls for," Koehne said, adding that the district has already modified buildings to accommodate growth.
Koehne added that the school district recognizes a need to expand Dougherty Valley High School, but said the most immediate need was for additional elementary space.
"This is clearly a benefit for the city, the developer, and most certainly for the school district and the families of the Dougherty Valley," said Board of Education President Greg Marvel. "While we still need to pass a facilities bond to build the school, having the land and some of the infrastructure provided will save the school district and taxpayers millions of dollars."
The cost of the new elementary school has already been figured into the facilities bond currently being discussed by the Board of Education. Although the board is still looking over recommendations from a citizen's oversight committee, Marvel estimates that the school could be built in a minimum of three years should the bond pass.
"It would come on board just when we need it, the projection is that we're going to continue to see growth out there," Marvel said. " The voters that we talked to out there in the Dougherty Valley indicated that they would be supportive of a bond if it meant that their elementary schools could be reduced in size. Some of those schools are projected to go as high as 1,400 (students)."
While the three parties have been meeting for nearly a year to discuss and review options and alternatives related to a joint use school and park site, only recently has this specific proposal for a new site in the Dougherty Valley taken shape. The various stakeholders will continue to work together on finalizing the terms of this partnership and spell out the details related to planning, implementation, funding and joint use of the park and school site.
Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
|
|
| Comments
|
Posted by Kevin, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 29, 2012 at 8:07 pm I thought this was originally designated as (badly needed) retail space?
|
|
Posted by Liz, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 30, 2012 at 6:04 am Will these students go to Gale Ranch or Windemere Middle School? Will those be large enough? I thought they already have portables on site because of population being too large for what was built. Would like to know what happens to this population as the students make their way therough the education system in later grades. How about DVHS? Is it big enough?
|
|
Posted by Jason, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 30, 2012 at 10:43 am While I think this is a good step, I think we the builder should contribute more. Unlike other schools in the Dougherty Valley area that are provided by the builders at their cost, this school is going to be built at tax payer's cost. The builder is only donating the land, nothing more. The school board should ask the builder to contribute to the cost of building the school. After all, the builder didn't build enough schools for the neighborhoods it built, now it is time to make up for that shortchanges.
|
|
Posted by Resident, a resident of San Ramon, on Mar 30, 2012 at 11:03 pm This land is at a different location than the retail space.
The school district and county made the predictions of how much school space would be needed. They underestimated. Shapell and Windemere both fulfilled there obligations to provide school space under the agreements. Shapell is giving the land to the city and school district beyond their obligations under the agreement.
|
|
Posted by EKL, a resident of Danville, on Mar 31, 2012 at 1:51 pm The only way I would vote FOR a tax would be if other SRVUSD schools would also receive a portion of the $$ for much needed updating and additions. Simply compare DVHS to the 3 other area high schools and it is night and day. The other school's need better technology, libraries and even better stadiums. If 100% of the funds are directed to Dougherty Valley then I will vote NO.
|
|
Posted by Member, a resident of San Ramon, on Apr 3, 2012 at 1:23 pm If there is a population congestion with younger families moving from other cities to San Ramon, why has the city approved building the big project - Highpoint rental units up the Ivy Hill Rd near the High School??
It is encouraging more people who are renting and not paying property taxes with bonds to take advantage of the good school district. I am deeply concerned as I can see we have sufficient rental units in Dougherty Valley.
I am so sad.. this is happening in the beautiful city of San Ramon!
|
|
Posted by Member, a resident of San Ramon, on Apr 3, 2012 at 1:28 pm I agree.. we should limit rental units in Dougherty Valley as there are already hundreds of rental units in the Dougherty Valley. Potential crimes, increase traffic and resident safety are major concerns. I was so alarmed to see a graffiti in a very good park in Gale Ranch. The police department and city manager if you are reading this.. please stop Highpoint rental but I think it is too late. There will be hundreds of units up for rent soon. What were the city thinking when they approved Highpoint condo???????
|
|
Posted by Jeff, a resident of San Ramon, on Apr 4, 2012 at 7:40 am Remember folks, it was and is Contra Costa County that approved the placement of all these rental untis, not the City!!! The District cut their own deal with the developers and got everthing and more than they negotiated for, but did not anticipate the number of people per household that swelled beyond everyones expectations.
The City has absolutly no say in these rental units, they wanted more housing for sale at affordable rates, not rentals, but the County got what it wanted instead and we all are dealing with their decisions.
|
|
Posted by Resident, a resident of San Ramon, on Apr 6, 2012 at 7:39 am Before Dougherty Valley was approved by the County, the City of San Ramon was working to approve a plan for about 7500-8000 total units. The Sierra Club and others sued and the developers went to the county to get the approval. Contra Costa County Planning Commission and the Supervisors approved 11,000 units and the Sierra Club and others settled their lawsuit and got a substantial payoff. So now you have an extra 3000+ units and the crowding that goes with it. The City of San Ramon did not plan this project.
|
|
|
| |
|
Send this story
Print this story
