Santa Clarita City Council members are set to look at tennis courts, an Einstein Academy appeal and local appointments, according to the Santa Clarita City Council agenda.

  Santa Clarita’s Central Park in Saugus

 Central Park is expected to get new tennis courts for the Santa Clarita facility in Saugus.

The tennis courts, which are expected to cost a little less than $470,000, was accounted for in the 2014-15 budget.

 “It represents the final phase of the 120 acres contemplated in the master plan for Central Park,” according to the City Council’s agenda. “This portion of the project will include the design of between six and 10 lighted tennis courts, a restroom, a small staff office building with user-serving amenities and a parking lot.”

 The courts are slated for the southernmost area of the park, which, according to city staffers:

“presents a unique opportunity to provide a public tennis facility having a north-south court orientation and groupings of courts terraced along the base of a hillside. The north-south orientation of the courts is favored by the tennis playing community because it eliminates the impact of glare created by the rising or setting sun.

The new facility will be adjacent to the existing dog park, allowing for the addition of amenities not originally available. The design of this phase will also include a lighted, disabled-accessible walkway to the existing dog park from the expanded parking lot, as well as lighting of the dog park itself, allowing for visitors to use the facility year-round until closing time at 10 p.m.”

Einstein Academy appeal

City Council members are asked to delay a decision on the appeal by Albert Einstein Academy for the Letters, Arts and Sciences officials, because city staffers are requesting more time to review documents.

 AEALAS officials “originally proposed to operate a primary school consisting of up to 650 students in grades K-6, with an additional 37 teachers and employees,” according to the City Council’s agenda.

 Santa Clarita City Council members could deny the zoning change by upholding the Planning Commission’s ruling.

 Einstein Academy currently operates a K-6 in Santa Clarita at the site of an old Pinecrest school that was purchased last year.

 With the exception of a 2,100 square-foot artificial turf area and a 3,600 square-foot concrete picnic area, the proposed primary school would be conducted within the interior of an existing 53,000 square-foot commercial building consisting of 32 classrooms, an indoor gymnasium and play area at 25300 Rye Canyon Road, according to city documents.

 Previously, Santa Clarita staffers recommended a denial of Einstein Academy’s plan for Rye Canyon Road based on safety, traffic and parking concerns, according to a staff report.

From a previous story:

 The discussion detailed staff’s concerns regarding unsafe traffic, insufficient on-site stacking capacity, impacts to adjacent intersections and the functionality of adjacent properties, according to the report.

Traffic diagrams and studies created by city officials show a proposed double-right turn onto northbound Rye Canyon Road for the school, which “cannot be supported by staff,” in the report.

The proposed traffic flow would create an unsafe condition in that the turning movement would be unprotected and the inside lane would not have adequate line-of-sight for turns to be executed safely because the outside turn lane would be blocking that line-of-sight, as detailed in a diagram from city officials.

“Assuming that each family has two students attending the school, there would be in excess of 300 vehicles requiring a parking space within a parking lot that only provides 123 parking spaces,” the report stated.

There was also concern the Rye Canyon Road-Avenue Scott intersection might not have the capacity to facilitate the proposed school use during peak times as a result of the high number of vehicles exiting the site and turning right onto Rye Canyon Road.

“This is clearly something that’s important to our community,” Shapiro said. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to meet the needs and demands of families in Santa Clarita.”

 Santa Clarita City Council appointments

Local appointments were named after Santa Clarita city officials extended the deadlines for applications.

Returning from the summer recess, council members unanimously filled vacancies on the Planning,Parks, Recreation and Community Services and Arts Commission, as well as the Financial Audit and Accountability Panel.

Planning Commission

There were no new faces here, as City Council members re-upped the terms of current members: Tim Burkhart, director of park operations for Six Flags Magic Mountain, who was appointed by Dante Acosta; Lisa Eichman, an accountant and gym owner who was nominated by Marsha McLean; and Dennis Ostrom, an earthquake risk consultant who was nominated by Laurene Weste.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services

The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission will welcome a new face when it swears in members at its next meeting.

Acosta nominated Kevin Korenthal, who has a public relations firm, and will be serving his first term on the commission. Marsha McLean nominated retired city parks employee Dianna Boone for another term. Mayor Laurene Weste nominated Ruthann Levison, who’s been a committee member since 2006

Arts Commission

Acosta nominated Susan Shapiro, a TV executive, for another term; McLean nominated Michael Millar, a music industry professional, who was also previously on the commission; and Weste nominated Patti Rasmussen, who was named an interim member to replace Paul Strickland, to a full term.

Financial Audit and Accountability Panel

The purpose of the Financial Accountability and Audit Panel is to Review and approve the annual work program to ensure land acquisition priorities are adhered to; Review the accounting of the funds generated by the Open Space Preservation District; and make determinations as to whether the proposed expenditures are consistent with the criteria and the requirements established in the Engineer’s Report, in addition to other responsibilities.

TimBen Boydston nominated Wendy Langhans, an outdoors enthusiast, former KHTS AM-1220 radio show host and chaplain; McLean nominated Sandra Cattell, a recently retired educator who’s active in several environmental groups; and Weste nominated Susan Orloff,  a director at Thomson Reuters property tax services and former senior manager with Deloitte & Touche.