Property Is Not Suitable for School, District Says

Capistrano Unified officials said Tuesday the school district is no longer interested in a San Juan Capistrano property as a site for a middle school.

The Rancho San Juan Capistrano property, also considered for a Christian high school, is “not appropriate for a public school” because of access and safety issues, Supt. James A. Fleming said.

More than 100 trains a day pass the site, a high-pressure gas line is beneath it, and extending a road to the site would be too expensive, officials said.

Junipero Serra High School was also interested in the property, but last week, the property owner, Rancho Capistrano Ministries, said it would not sell to Junipero Serra because of objections to the school’s intention to have only Roman Catholics offer religious instruction there.