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Newport‑Mesa board names Knighthall Capital preferred proposerl for Banning Ranch, directs negotiations
Summary
After hours of public comment urging preservation, the Newport‑Mesa Unified School District board designated Knighthall Capital as the preferred proposer to ground‑lease the surplus Banning Ranch parcel and authorized staff to negotiate an option/ground‑lease agreement, while acknowledging a competing interest from the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority that triggers a statutory negotiation period.
The Newport‑Mesa Unified School District Board of Education on March 10 identified Knighthall Capital as the most desirable respondent to its request for proposals to ground‑lease the district’s Banning Ranch parcel, and authorized staff and legal counsel to begin negotiations toward an option or ground‑lease agreement.
The vote followed more than an hour of public comment from students, teachers, neighborhood residents and conservation groups who urged the board to preserve the site for open space, questioned affordability claims for teachers, and asked for clearer protections for habitat and tribal resources. "This is one of the last remaining natural open spaces on the Westside," said Angely Andrade‑Vallarta, a College Park parent, urging preservation. Olivia Stockdale, an Early College student, asked how the…
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