Parking Enters Costa Redesign Debate

With progress comes challenge and that has been the case for administrators, coaches, parents and students at Mira Costa High School this year.

Plans to build a new state-of-the-art science building in an existing parking lot have set off a domino effect, prompting countless conversations about parking and athletic facilities on a campus that only has so much space.

With the proposed science building eliminating some parking spaces, the original suggestion was to relocate those lost spaces by leveling tennis courts on Artesia Boulevard and creating new parking.

But where on campus could replacement tennis courts be built? And whose coveted space would they overtake? And by the way, the athletic fields could use improvements and perhaps a renovation anyway.

So two from parents, students and coaches who were unhappy with portions of both plans, as they involve making changes to athletic playing areas. 

After hearing that concern, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District formed the Athletic Facilities Master Plan Committee, which “originally convened with the purpose of moving the tennis courts [for parking], but now we are a different committee—one that is concerned with field renovation,” said Ben Dale, principal of Mira Costa High School.

The committee is chaired by Mira Costa teacher and head football coach Don Morrow and includes several varsity coaches, parents, school administrators and community members.

During one of the committee's meetings last week, the committee was told that a remodeling or restriping of the current lot would ensure sufficient parking without requiring any additional lots or construction.

The parking usage analysis was presented by Luc Berne of Burch Architects and Dr. Steven Romines, assistant superintendent of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District.

The committee moved to recommend either a complete remodeling or a restriping of the parking lot, with preference toward remodeling. Another plan called for the removal of most of the school’s tennis courts to provide parking.

“The parking study showed us we could meet our parking needs without changing the parking configuration," Dale said. "Moving the tennis courts was only necessary if we needed to use that area for parking.” 

“Pending board approval of our recommendation, I think we are making great headway and getting back to the job of the committee, which is now field renovations,” said Dale.

The committee's recommendation will be heard at a Manhattan Beach school board meeting Wednesday.

“Either plan [remodeling or restriping] works," Romines said. "Our main goal is to save the tennis courts and either one achieves this. Additionally, this is perfect timing to get in there in the summer [while school is out] and take advantage of this opportunity.” 

Mira Costa head tennis coach Joe Ciasulli said that he is pleased with the progress of the committee.

“If they would have torn down the tennis courts, they would not have been rebuilt," he said. "There was no place to put them. In that scenario someone was going to lose. It’s a zero-sum game. We don’t have any excess space.”

Ciasulli is hopeful that the recommendation, which is a victory for the tennis facilities, can be supplemented by necessary field renovations for all varsity sports, he said.

“Everybody has been really cooperative in focusing on maximizing the best use of the space we have for all students," Ciasulli said. "Everyone has that goal. It's just finding out how to get there that is key.”