Glenwood neighbors supported high school amid developer controversy
“There was quite a bit of opposition to the high school, especially from the neighboring homes in the vicinity of the new campus.” This quote by Mark Witzig, from the April 18 article in the Press Banner celebrating the opening of the high school is egregiously inaccurate.
True, the district met fierce opposition from neighbors at the other four sites it had pursued; however, most people in North Scotts Valley welcomed a high school in the Glenwood. The issue was, however, some of the land for the Glenwood site was controlled by a Palo Alto developer. The developer agreed to give up the land in exchange for approval of a 233 luxury housing development that would have consumed the rest of the valley.
Citizens, from all over the city, came together and put forth a referendum to stop the project.
During the campaign, in an attempt to sway opinion, supporters of the development, including many of our city leaders, vilified the Glenwood neighbors, portraying them as selfish NIMBY obstructionists. Scotts Valley voters rejected the development.
Eventually, the district, the city and the developer struck a deal, 45 homes across from the site on which a new high school was to be built.
Be it known that neighbors in the “vicinity of the new campus” welcomed the high school, and the Glenwood Preserve we know and love today would not be in existence had the citizens of Scotts Valley not stood up and asked for better from the leadership of the day.
Thomas Johnson
Scotts Valley
