WATSONVILLE — In what could be the final chapter of a long saga, the Watsonville City Council will consider approving Pajaro Valley High School’s athletic field project on Tuesday.
If approved, a 10-day period will follow, during which the public can appeal to the California Coastal Commission. If nobody objects, the project can move forward, and Pajaro Valley Unified School District officials estimate construction could begin in the summer.
The plans call for an eight-lane track and football field, bleachers for up to 2,200 people and a concession and restroom building. The facility will replace the school’s current practice field on an eight-acre lot near its entrance.
On April 3, the Watsonville Planning Commission unanimously recommended the project.
PVUSD originally planned to construct the field on a 10-acre site north of the school’s parking lot, but lawsuits by the Watsonville Pilots Association claimed that the project placed students in the flight path of the Watsonville Municipal Airport.
In September, PVUSD and WPA hashed out a settlement agreement, said Principal Planner Justin Meek. WPA withdrew its objections to the project, while the district redesigned the development to be located within the 33-acre footprint of the school.
Pajaro Valley High School opened in 2004.
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The Watsonville City Council will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 275 Main St., fourth floor. To view the agenda, visit tinyurl.com/y8evxupn.
