Residents of Harvest Hills would bear the annual operating costs for the new fire station through a Mello-Roos special assessment district formed to pay for infrastructure and service costs, Underwood said. The new fire station would significantly reduce emergency response times for Harvest Hills and surrounding neighborhoods from the current level of 13-15 minutes, potentially saving one life a year, said Underwood, citing a fire protection plan prepared for the project. In addition, the development would enhance the region’s public safety because it will include a new fire station, a new emergency evacuation road and expansion of an existing evacuation route, he said. Underwood said the project as proposed would preserve about 70 percent of the project site, or some 760 acres, as permanent open space. The university later launched an internal investigation, hiring former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins to look into Lempesis’ conduct with other athletes.“It’s unfortunate to see factually-inaccurate claims and misleading scare tactics continuing to be weaponized against badly-needed housing in the City of Escondido,” said Don Underwood, managing member at Concordia Homes, in a written statement. In answers to questions from the prosecutor, Hynes agreed the situation with Lempesis could be damaging to Concordia’s reputation and the baseball program’s recruiting and fundraising. Hynes testified that Collaro told him he was compensated for sexual acts with Lempesis, and that later he fired Lempesis for the conduct. Lempesis later asked Collaro to perform a sexual act, but he refused and his playing time was reduced, according to the lawsuit.ĭuring the criminal trial, Jeffrey Hynes, vice president for student life and intercollegiate athletics and dean of students at Concordia, testified that he heard about allegations against Lempesis from an assistant coach, then spoke to Collaro. Collaro told police he performed sex acts on film on multiple occasions. Lempesis had players pay him personally for gear, according to the lawsuit. While he was a pitcher on the team in 20, Lempesis told Collaro he could reduce his debt for baseball equipment if he agreed to engage in sex acts on video. After another session, according to the River Forest police report, Lempesis showered with Collaro and groped him when the two were naked.Ĭollaro later accepted an academic scholarship to play baseball for Lempesis at Concordia and began college in 2007. It was during that time, according to Collaro’s statement to River Forest police, that Lempesis fondled Collaro’s genitals as he had the player try on a pair of sliding shorts. Later, when Collaro was in high school, he took private pitching lessons from Lempesis, and afterward the coach would take him to eat at McDonald’s or Gene & Jude’s hot dog stand in River Grove. The lawsuit says Lempesis used his position of trust to “manipulate and prey” on the player.Ĭollaro first met Lempesis in 2000 at a baseball camp when Collaro was 10 years old. Lempesis was fired in September 2010.ĭuring a brief hearing Thursday at the Daley Center before the newly updated lawsuit was filed, a lawyer for Concordia said the plaintiff “has yet to assert a claim that is viable.”Ī Concordia spokesman said the school does not comment on pending litigation.Ĭollaro’s lawyers contend the former player suffered “severe and permanent emotional distress” as well as damage to his baseball career because of the sexual contact. Horwitz also said Concordia acted appropriately, launching an internal investigation into Lempesis’ behavior and firing the coach. He said Collaro fabricated part of his story for financial gain. “At no time did anything inappropriate happen when he was a minor,” said Blake Horwitz, Lempesis’ lawyer. But Lempesis’ lawyer argues his client never abused Collaro and the civil lawsuit is a ploy by the former player to collect money for consensual sexual activity.
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