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Committee flags Comstock and Herbert Slater for additional study over athletic and community impacts
Summary
Committee members agreed to defer final recommendations on Comstock and Herbert Slater, citing loss of athletic fields and community amenities if sold; members urged joint-use or phased approaches and legal/financial analysis before recommending surplus.
Committee members returned repeatedly to community-use risks at two large sites: Comstock and Herbert Slater. Multiple speakers said selling or fully redeveloping those sites could remove fields and facilities relied on by youth sports and community programs.
S4 described how the loss of Slater could be irreversible: "The sale of Slater will indicate that you cannot move back to a middle school, high school approach because that is a crucial site that could be potentially reopened," they said, urging caution and recommending the district consider holding some parcels out of surplusing or using phased approaches. S3 and others proposed exploring long-term leases or joint-use agreements that would preserve important recreational functions while allowing some development value to be realized.
Members recommended further study on flood-control easements, historic-structure constraints, zoning and partnership opportunities with the city or county before forwarding site recommendations to the board. The committee asked staff to gather additional information and to treat Comstock and Herbert Slater as higher-priority follow-ups at future meetings.
