ESCONDIDO -- The City Council didn't put up a fight Wednesday -- it quickly agreed to waive $11,500 in fees for a former Olympian and his wife to help bring in one of the region's only fencing gyms.

Saul and Victoria Mendoza's plans to build a 10,000-square-foot fencing training center on a vacant lot at 1770 S. Escondido Blvd. would add another activity for city residents and renovate a neighborhood in need, said the council.

"The South Escondido Boulevard area has been one of our targets for a long time," said Mayor Lori Pfeiler, adding to the Mendozas, who were present: "We hope you open very soon."

Some city fees are eligible to be waived for new businesses that fall under city standards of improving the quality of life in Escondido. The council unanimously approved the request to waive 25 percent of the $46,000 in eligible fees for the Mendozas.

Pfeiler and Councilman Ed Gallo, who reviewed the request last week during a council economic development subcommittee meeting, recommended the waivers after hearing Victoria Mendoza's request.

Mendoza said she and her husband picked Escondido for their business and home because of its central location.

Since moving to Escondido from San Jose earlier this year, the couple have been running a mail-order business selling fencing equipment. Saul, who has been fencing since he was 11 in his native Santa Cruz, Bolivia, wanted to open a gym so he could have a place to coach.

At age 17, Mendoza represented Bolivia in the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. He placed in the top 35. Mendoza said he plans to rent the fencing strips -- the long rectangular area of play for fencers -- to other coaches in need of space, as well as for his own coaching.

Chuck Alexander, a fencing coach and president of No Fear Fencing in Poway, and Stuart Lee, the head fencing coach at UC San Diego, said earlier that North County has no permanent fencing gyms and they hope to bring their athletes to Escondido.

The Mendozas said they hope to open early next year.

In other news, the council unanimously approved a request from Pfeiler to give $100,000 from the city's public art fund to establish an endowment for the city's soon-to-be-unveiled Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture garden in Kit Carson Park.

The endowment's $5,000 in annual interest will be used to fund school trips to the garden.

"People will come from all over the world to see this art," Pfeiler said. "The best thing we can do for her (de Saint Phalle) is to let the children here see this art, too."

Pfeiler added that she hopes the city's money will encourage residents to donate.

Susan Pollack, the city's arts consultant, then told the council that Escondido also needs volunteers to help Oct. 26, during the public unveiling. Call Pollack at (760) 839-4331.

Contact staff writer Erin Massey at (760) 740-5416 or emassey@nctimes.com.