Newman council authorizes staff to negotiate agreement with school district for parking-lot improvements and shared access

The Newman City Council on Oct. 14 authorized city staff to negotiate an agreement with the Newman‑Crows Landing Unified School District to allow the district to proceed with parking-lot improvements on an area that includes city-owned property, including portions of the baseball field and parts of the parking lot.

City staff said the district recently passed bonds and identified a red‑outlined project area that overlapped city property. The staff presentation said the city owns “center field and right field” of the baseball field as well as part of the adjacent parking lot, and the district cannot move forward with construction without an agreement from the city.

Staff said negotiations will focus on terms that keep the parking area available for community recreational use and prevent it from being permanently fenced off. “Our goal is to put into the agreement that that cannot be fenced off, that it has to be opened for recreational uses,” a city staff member said. Staff also told council legal would draft a short agreement (one to two pages) after the negotiating principals agree to terms, and the final document would come back to both the city council and the school board for approval.

Council members asked whether the district was seeking financial assistance; staff said the district had not indicated a request for city funding. Council members discussed maintenance responsibilities and the possibility of a land swap to consolidate ownership for maintenance and improvements; staff said a land swap was unlikely but that improvements paid for by the district could benefit the city.

A motion to authorize staff to negotiate the agreement passed 5-0. Staff said the negotiated agreement will be returned to the council and the school board for final approval.