County Office that runs a children’s mental health program will be moving locations and making way for a new high school to be built.
County Supervisors recently approved moving County Behavioral Health from leased space at Pacific Beach High School (1981 Vicente Dr.) in SLO to an office building at 2975 McMillan Way, located on a side street off Orcutt Road, and 2 blocks from Broad Street.
The County has leased the school space, which it shares with other educational programs, since March 2014. “The grounds were an added benefit to the County,” reads a report, “for its exterior playgrounds and recreation for the community’s youth.” The County’s facility is called the “Youth Mental Health Outpatient Treatment Center,” and serves kids up to age 18.
The lease still has a couple of years left but the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, which owns it and operates Pacific Beach, is getting ready to rebuild the school.
“The District,” reads the report from Sarah Diggs, the County’s Real Property Manager, “contacted the County to request to terminate the lease early so that they could begin construction as part of their Measure C-22 Bond improvements. However, the lease termination date is not until June 30, 2026.” The school district had scheduled to start the job in Summer 2022, according to the County report.
The District offered to help the County move and reached a settlement agreeing to pay $210,000 to apparently ease the path. Still, the County will be shelling out an additional amount.
The new 3-year lease runs through October 2027, with an option for five, 1-year extensions through 2032. The 3-year lease will total $451,000 in rent, plus $150,000 in tenant improvements, which the County will make going in. This is being offset by the District’s settlement. The rent will be adjusted annually for inflation, too.
The new location includes some 4,100 square feet of office space and about 700 s.f., of outdoor patio space.
As a possible bonus, “This premises is located in close proximity to other County programs, including Behavioral Health Martha’s Place, Behavioral Health Access and Crisis Division, and Public Health’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, and Emergency Medical Services divisions, currently located in the McMillan Business Park,” Diggs’ report said.
With the County’s move solved, attention turns to the school district’s project and the massive, $349 million school construction bond — Measure C — that voters approved in 2022 with over 63% of the vote.
Measure C-22, “provides money for badly needed security and classroom upgrades for all the elementary and middle schools in Morro Bay, Los Osos and San Luis Obispo,” reads an informational item on the school district’s website. “Measure C will transform our campuses and create inspiring learning environments where our students will thrive.”
At Pacific Beach High, which is a continuing education school, a brand new campus will be built on the east side of the property on what is now open field space. The space where the County’s offices and other education programs sit will be razed and turned into the new fields and blacktop areas.
When that’s all done, the old high school will be torn down.
The plans call for new classrooms, office, CTE classrooms, a multipurpose room (gym), and 12,520 s.f. of office space for support staff.
They’ll build a new student quad with shaded areas, new fields, fencing and utility infrastructure, too.
Measure C-22 has a Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee as part of the bond measure passed by voters. The board meets quarterly to review the budget and progress of Measure C projects. See: www.slcusd.org/about/measure-c.
