Land disappeared: Ann Waltonsmith
City Council May Want To Look At Bigger Picture For Civic Center
Staff will begin working on possible master plan
Urgent needs a priority
By Kara Chalmers
There's little question that Saratoga's aging community and senior centers need attention, but the City Council has questioned whether renovation is only a short-term solution, and if what is needed is a big-picture vision of the entire Civic Center complex.
On March 21, Pamela Anderson Brulé, principal architect for Anderson Brulé Architects, appeared before the council to present ideas for a brand new community and senior center. Brulé had presented less dramatic options--a minor renovation and a remodel with expansion--during an October council meeting, but the council asked her to return with ideas for a completely new center, or centers. At that time, council directed staff to look into financing a new facility.
Brulé presented three different locations for a center, which would house both facilities and could cost up to $7.5 million. But while council members said the presentation was a great start, they were not completely satisfied. By the end of the hour-long presentation, council members questioned whether they were thinking big enough. Changing demographics, including a growing youth population, and diminishing space were two factors that weighed on the minds of council members
Councilwoman Ann Waltonsmith noted that, while no one was paying attention, all the land in the city disappeared. Now, she said, the city needs to think about the future, which may mean an overhaul of current facilities to better use the space that's left.
"I think we need to do the temporary fixes and create a dream," said Councilman Evan Baker. "And let the people sign up."
With a bigger picture in mind, council directed staff to explore replanning and rebuilding the area from the Civic Theater on Fruitvale Avenue to the corporation yard off Allendale Avenue.
In response to the discussion about a bigger vision, Brulé said. "It's just a question of how far your vision would go. We'd certainly be willing to take you there."
While the architects seemed happy with the meeting's turn of events, Anderson Brulé was only hired to do a feasibility study, a first step to any design and construction plan. The firm won't necessarily be the city's final choice for actual work
According to interim city manager William Norton, there may not be enough money left in the city's current contract with the firm for it to do any more master planning for the city. He said it is too early for the city to give any direction to the architects.
"This is a big money item," Norton said, and explained that he directed the City Council not to make any decisions on March 21. "I wanted them to hear comments from other people," he said. Norton said city staff would return to the council with a recommendation for a master plan at one of the April council meetings.
Build a dream: Evan Baker
Meanwhile, recreation director Joan Pisani pointed out that there are immediate needs in the community center that should be addressed--the leaky roof, the inadequate heating, ventilating and air conditioning system, and worn curtains and blinds. She suggested doing an overhaul in phases and fixing the center's most pressing problems first. She said she would be reluctant to spend money on reroofing, if the whole facility will be demolished soon.
According to Mary Goulart, executive director of the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council, SASCC, besides the community center's problems, the senior center has an additional short-term need for a computer center, possibly a portable modular building that could be used as additional classroom space.
In April, the council will discuss these needs, as well as looking at master planning, Norton said.
In 1996, the City Council appointed a task force to learn citizens' priorities for spending the city's park development fund, money allocated to buy or renovate parks or park buildings. A community center renovation and expansion made the top of the list.
Anderson Brulé submitted a needs assessment report in January 1999 for the existing community center. They came up with three options: a $733,115 minimal renovation, a more than $1.3 million remodel and expansion, and a $4.4 million rebuild. None of these plans included the senior center. Since then, according to Goulart, the senior center has put its own renovation plans on hold, so that it can be part of the larger plan, including the community center.
Goulart said that she and the rest of the Saratoga Area Senior Coordinating Council board members believe seniors in the community will benefit from a brand new center, but that they are concerned about programs continuing during construction.
"If the City Council can help us with these transition issues, I feel the seniors in this community and members of the SASCC board would be far more supportive of this proposed project," Goulart said later in an interview.
Saratoga's administrative services director, Mary Jo Walker, presented several ideas for financing a $7.5 million project at the March 21 meeting. She said the most solid contribution would be the $1.3 million from the park development funds, which the Parks and Recreation Commission voted last October to spend on the community center. The rest could be financed through loans, since $7.5 million would be too small an amount for a general obligation bond.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
