In a symbolic gesture honoring its original decision, the five members of the Rossmoor Community Services District celebrated the final payment of the $5 million bond to purchase Rush Park with a literal bond-burning ceremony.
“It was hard, it was a fight but here we sit,” said Rossmoor Community Services President Michael Maynard during a special meeting before the actual ceremony Tuesday.
With the final payment now made, the homeowners of Rossmoor collectively own the 8.7-acre track that is now Rush Park, its administration buildings, auditorium, and acres of open green spaces and park.
Because of the board’s vision three decades ago, Rossmoor residents are today “reaping the rewards,” said Maynard.
Not only did they preserve 8.7 acres of green spaces, but Rush Park today includes community buildings where meetings are held, churches meet, clubs meet and much more, he said.
Rush Park was once Benjamin Rush Elementary School, constructed in 1962 as part of the Rossmoor master planned community. Dr. Benjamin Rush, it’s namesake, was an educator, a physician and was one of the original signatories on the American Declaration of Independence, born in 1746.
Historian Diane Rush said the LAUSD decided to sell Benjamin Rush School in the late 1980’s after it had been closed and declared surplus. Rush school operated from 1962 until it closed in 1978.
The state had approved the formation of the Rossmoor Community Services District in 1987 and this was the first big test of the relatively new RCSD. They moved immediately to buy the site but opinion within Rossmoor was split.
Gustave Brinkman served as President of the Rossmoor Community Services District during the Rush School purchase (1991).
He said “the location of the Rush School site in the southern portion of the district balances off the park system in the district. It enhances the quality of life for all and especially for the children now and in the future,” according to local historian Diane Rush. Other directors approving the Rush purchase included Johanne Duffy, Germaine Erskine and Clair Weeks, she said.
During the rather contentious debate over the purchase, Brickman quoted Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish,” said Rush, a longtime Rossmoor resident.
Another director of the RCSD at that time was Joyce Bloom. She endorsed the full-throated contests often then held at RCSD meetings, “This has been a wonderful experience for democracy. I think shouting and yelling is fine,” said Bloom as quoted by Rush from a contemporary journal.
In 1990, voters of Rossmoor voted 55 percent to 45 percent to approve the sale of bonds in the amount of $4.2 million to purchase the property and everything on it from the Los Alamitos Unified School District.
Italian American Ross Cortese had purchased nearly 1,000 acres from the Bixby Ranch in 1951 and began construction of Rossmoor (named for the owner) in 1956. Rush says Cortese designated tracks of approximately 10 acres each, dedicated to school construction throughout the development.
In addition to Benjamin Rush School, there were four other schools constructed in Rossmoor, including Rossmoor Elementary, opened in 1958, Weaver Elementary, which opened in 1960, Richard Henry Lee opened in 1961, (Rush in ’62) and Francis Hopkinson opened in 1963.
Today, Rossmoor includes approximately 3,500 residences, four schools and one former school that is now Rush Park.
“So tonight, we celebrate the early payoff of Rush Park bonds,” said Maynard.
Reading a resolution to commemorate the event, Director Jeffrey Barke said the bonds were scheduled to have been paid on Sept. 2, 2021, but it was a “priority of board of directors” to pay it off early.
“This milestone in Rossmoor history is dedicated to all the residents of this great community to mark its greatest asset,” said Barke as he read from the resolution.
Maynard said the early payoff will save Rossmoor homeowners more than $7,000 in interest and cancels the final assessment of $108.50 for each Rossmoor homeowner.
Maynard, Barke and three remaining directors, Mark Nitikman, Ron Casey and Tony DeMarco then walked outside each carrying a ceremonial portion of the $5 million note, taking turns to place each piece into a carefully watched fire pit as they literally “burned” the bonds celebrating the final payment.
With interest, Rossmoor paid approximately $5 million for what Maynard claimed Tuesday could be an asset worth as much as $45 million.
