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Usually, when new housing is built in a school district it means more students for local schools. The Las Lomitas Elementary School District is turning that concept on its head by removing a home in the district to make room for more students.

On Nov. 12, the district started demolishing a house at 273 Alameda de las Pulgas in Atherton, next to the Las Lomitas Elementary School campus, to help the district accommodate the 40 percent growth in the number of students it has experienced since 1999.

The district recently purchased the one-acre property, which borders the Las Lomitas property on two sides, for $3 million, according to Eric Holm, director of bond projects for the district.

“The owners had long had an appreciation for the school in the community and liked the idea of the property supporting the kids and the community for future generations,” Mr. Holm said.

The district looked into deconstructing and salvaging the home, but found it was significantly more expensive than standard demolition because of state prevailing wage and public contract requirements, Mr. Holm said. However, he said, the demolition contractor is recycling at least 60 percent of the house’s materials. The foundations will be ground down and reused in new roadways; the metal will be melted down; and the wood will be ground up to use as mulch, he said.

Exactly what the additional property will be used for is still under review, he said. Last year the Las Lomitas district completed a master plan looking at how to accommodate its expanding student population. Comments from parents, community members, site staff, administration and maintenance staff as well as from design and construction professionals were incorporated into the plan.

In November 2013, voters approved a $60 million bond measure for repairs, upgrades and new construction projects in the district.

The district is working with the town of Atherton and the California Department of Education to change the new property’s zoning from residential to school facility, Mr. Holm said.

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6 Comments

  1. Sure, school districts can also take property – including your home – under the power of eminent domain. Consider that the next time a school district places on the ballot a bond measure with an open-ended “list” of possible projects.

  2. Was eminent domain used? How was the property assessed? For it’s demolition value? Why did the district choose a bidder with so many Exclusions for the demolition?
    https://laslomitas.csbaagendaonline.net/cgi-bin/WebObjects/laslomitas-eAgenda.woa/files/MTQxNjM0MTU5NTAyNi9sYXNsb21pdGFzZUFnZW5kYS84MjQvMjIxMS9GaWxlcw==/273_de_las_pulgas_contract.pdf Later contract modifications could push the final cost well above the next lower bidder, who had fewer exclusions.

  3. Replying to all of the comments who are excessively complaining about this project..

    They tore down a family sized home to make room for 200+ brighter futures.

  4. If the homeowners voluntarily sold their home to the district, then this private transaction is of no concern to anyone. Each side got what it wanted.

    This is not a case involving eminent domain where a sale is “forced” by law. In eminent domain, in addition to the obvious valuation issues (ie, what was the property really worth), there is also the issue of weighing the public good. When the public good is building a road or dam, that can be pretty clearly demonstrated. But when it is to build a shopping mall or condominiums with the justification an increased tax base, that is certainly less clear.

    As I said, this home sale appears to be a voluntary exchange. Good for both parties!

  5. I confirmed this with Eric Holm. He also answered the question “Why did the district choose a bidder with so many Exclusions for the demolition?”
    I am satisfied. Now let’s hope the demolition is a class act with minimal disruption to my daily Alameda commute.

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