SLO County city wants to buy former elementary school. What would happen to it?
The city of Morro Bay has officially thrown its hat in the ring for the purchase the former Morro Bay Elementary School site — a property currently owned and for sale by the San Luis Coastal school district.
According to a letter sent to the school district Wednesday by Morro Bay city manager Yvonne Kimball, the city wants to buy and use the site for open space, a term typically used to describe parks, fields or open, recreational land.
“The city believes this site holds significant historical, cultural, and environmental value to our community and is prepared to enter into good faith negotiations regarding the acquisition of the property for open space purposes,” the letter stated.
The move comes after the city originally decided against the purchase earlier this year.
San Luis Coastal moved to sell the Morro Bay Elementary site as well as the Sunnyside school site in Los Osos earlier this year to help manage the district’s ongoing structural budget deficit of at least $6 million. Morro Elementary shut down in 2001, The Tribune previously reported.
In January, the city expressed interest in the property but ultimately did not move forward, San Luis Coastal assistant superintendent of business services Ryan Pinkerton told The Tribune at the time.
But after residents of Morro Bay pushed back, concerned that the property would be sold and developed into housing, the Morro Bay City Council asked the district to hold off on the sale to give the community time to develop a plan.
And now, a plan seems to be in the works.
The letter sent Wednesday does not provide any additional insight into the terms of the acquisition — only that the city intends to enter “good faith negotiations” with the district to “determine a mutually satisfactory sales price and terms.”
“In accordance with these provisions, we would like to propose a meeting at a mutually convenient time to discuss the details and requirements of the negotiation process,” the letter read. “Please let us know your availability for an initial discussion and any relevant documentation or information that should be reviewed prior to the meeting. We look forward to working collaboratively to achieve a resolution that aligns with the interests of all parties involved.”
Pinkerton previously told The Tribune that the property was appraised at over $10 million and would require another $20-$30 million to modernize.
The Tribune reached out to Airlin Singewald, community development director for Morro Bay who previously hosted an informational session on the site, for an update on the city’s stance on the property, but had not received a response as of Friday.
The purchase was discussed by the Morro Bay City Council in a closed session meeting Tuesday night, according to the agenda.
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