Supervisors won't back Jurupa district on seizing Calvert property (aka 'How Ken Calvert Stole Christmas')

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday dealt a setback to a Jurupa-area park district's efforts to gain ownership of 4 acres sold to Rep. Ken Calvert and his partners in a disputed transaction.

Supervisor John Tavaglione, whose Second District includes the Jurupa area, urged his board colleagues to vote down the request by the Jurupa Area Recreation and Park District to allow the use of eminent domain to seize the land.

The vote was 5-0.

Tavaglione chastised the park district and the Jurupa Community Services District, which sold the land to the Calvert partnership without the state-required notification to other governmental agencies that the Limonite Avenue property was on the market. The park district has sought the land since at least 2001 as the site for a park or a youth sports field.

Tavaglione said he was unhappy that the long-feuding districts appeared to be trying to drag supervisors into the land dispute.

"The community deserves better," he said.

Eminent domain is the process by which a government agency can acquire private property for public use by paying fair market value. If negotiations with the property owner fail, the case goes to court and the owner can be forced to sell.

Dan Rodriguez, the park district's general manager, said he was poised to fill out a speaker's request form to address supervisors Tuesday when he noticed that the item was listed on the consent calendar, which is always approved as a block item.

"The supervisor pulled the item, he spoke, they voted on it and it was a done deal," Rodriguez said. "I was truly surprised."

Calvert, R-Corona, reached at his Washington D.C. office, said he shared Tavaglione's sense that he was being drawn into a local dispute against his will.

"I feel like I'm in the middle of a circular firing squad," Calvert said, adding that he hoped the two districts would be able to settle their differences.

Calvert and his partners want to build a ministorage facility on the property.

Rodriguez said the park district board will call a special meeting on Jan. 3 to weigh its options in closed session.

The Jurupa district provides parks, arenas and recreation services to the unincorporated west Riverside County communities of Mira Loma, Glen Avon, Pedley, Sunnyslope and Rubidoux.
The Riverside County grand jury concluded last summer that the community services district did not follow state law and recommended that the district turn over to the park district the $1.2 million it received from the sale.

The community services district has maintained all along that it did nothing improper.

Editor's opinion: Shame on you Ken Calvert! Self Storage over a Youth Sports Park...you really have your community, priorities and (apparently) pocketbook in check!