MENDOCINO CO., 2/10/26 — The Redwood Valley Recreation Center group, a volunteer-led organization working to help young people in the region, is proposing a project at a school district meeting this week that aims to transform an old school campus into a recreation center.
The group, made up of local residents, teachers, and concerned citizens, is working to create activities for kids in Redwood Valley. Redwood Valley, an unincorporated community less than 10 miles north of Ukiah, is known for its scenic vineyards and rolling hills. However, the area has few opportunities for young people to engage in the community in healthy ways, according to the recreation center group.
This Thursday, the group will speak with the Ukiah Unified School District about its proposal to lease the old Redwood Valley Elementary School campus, with the goal to eventually buy it, so the committee can create a recreation center for young people.
The campus was closed in the 2009-2010 school year due to what the district said were dwindling enrollment numbers.
According to members of the group’s steering committee, UUSD has been trying to sell the property for nearly 17 years but has not received an offer that meets its asking price. The district’s website says they asked for the minimum price of $900,000 in 2024, but no buyers came forward.
According to members of the group, the district has proposed different fees based on how long it would take the group to pay for the property. The district’s proposals have ranged from $250,000 to $500,000, depending on the repayment timeline. The less time it takes the group to pay for the property, the lower the asking price.
Debra Phenicie, the resource manager for the Redwood Valley Recreation Center group, said they sent their latest rebuttal to the district in January, and the district has until March to respond. The group is proposing to pay $50,000 up front and then lease the property for $25,000 a year for two years, until it raises enough funds to buy the campus.
To raise the money, the group is hoping to receive grants from Proposition 68, which provides funding for parks and other recreation projects in California.
“It’s now on the open market, and we’ve made a proposal. The bottom line is the district wants money, they want more than we have. We don’t have that much money,” Phenicie said.
She also said that if the group was given the OK to lease the property, it would make it easier for them to apply for and receive grant money to buy it.
“Unless you have the property, it’s really hard to get grants,” she said.
Members of the recreation center group said the plan for the center is to have a space where kids can exercise, take classes, garden and even cook.
Dr. Marvin Trotter, the chair of the recreation center group’s steering committee, who has decades of medical experience and worked for 12 years as Mendocino County’s public health officer, said that kids who participate in healthy activities are statistically less likely to use drugs or alcohol later in life.
“What do kids do in Calpella or Redwood Valley? They often do drugs or drink alcohol or get whippets at the gas station,” Trotter said in an interview. “If you work in an ER, you can actually see that kids that are given opportunities like 4-H, soccer, and art, they do better.”
UUSD officials declined to comment Monday but said the proposal is under review.
The Redwood Valley Recreation Center group will be speaking with UUSD about leasing the Redwood Valley Elementary School campus at its school board meeting this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the district’s offices at 511 S. Orchard St. in Ukiah.
Attendees who want to file a public comment about the recreation center proposal should arrive at 4:30 p.m., according to UUSD officials.