By Tony Hicks –
The Walnut Creek City Council earlier this week unanimously approved sending a $77 million overhaul of Heather Farm Park to the design/development phase.
Made possible by voters passing Measure O in 2022 to increase the city’s sales tax, the City Council agreed Tuesday that the Aquatic and Community Center Facility at Heather Farm Park will replace the existing community center and swim center with a new combined aquatic and community center.
The aquatic component will consist of an 18-lane, 50-meter competitive lap pool and a 25-meter family recreational pool with a beach entry, a slide, and a children’s water spray device. Locker rooms will be part of the adjacent community center building. The center will operate with electricity from solar panels.
The large pool will be configured to World Aquatics standards for competition. The entire pool space will encompass more than 35,000 square feet.
The new 23,400-square-foot community center will be able to function as an emergency operations center for the city as well. The city’s current emergency operations center is a conference room at City Hall.
The existing community center and Clarke Memorial Swim Center will remain open during construction, which the city estimates will take 20 months and begin in the summer of 2025. The design will likely begin in September and wrap up by April 2025.
The current swim facility will be demolished and filled in. Councilmembers have mentioned possibilities for the site, including bocce courts, but no decision has been made.
10 comments
I’m flabbergasted that people complain more and more – and even leave the state because of it – about the high taxes and cost of living here, then they keep voting for more and more bond issues and measures that will raise them.
They blame the “tax and spend” Dems but don’t they realize what they’re doing to themselves?
Exactly. Same thing applies to temporary property tax increases and toll bridge increases, which are usually imposed for emergency purposes. When these “temporary” increases are set to expire, government authorities put it up for a vote to make the increases permanent. And California voters, be it statewide or locally, will usually vote for the permanent increase. Oh yeah, state gas tax increases are also approved by California voters.
I moved to WC for the parks and community pool. I came from Oakland, which was so underfunded that it had intentionally unused facilities. I can’t wait! I know the older pool is causing excessive maintenance costs, and it’s time.
“city estimates will take 20 months and begin in the summer of 2025. The design will likely begin in September and wrap up by April 2025.”
Yeah, sounds like the city and it’s attention to detail. It’ll be be finished before they start.
@whatever – The details matter, in English sentences.
• The design phase runs from now to April 2025.
• The project is put out for bids and a builder is selected.
• Construction starts in summer of 2025.
• Construction should be completed 20 months later or around March 2028.
Hopefully they don’t emulate the Planet Fitness locker room policy but they probably will.
…what is that? what is the policy?
Interested to hear a percentage figure about use of main pool by these ‘teams’ vs the general public.
It’s going to be a madhouse like the park is now. Ninety percent of the people there aren’t even from Walnut Creek, but we are paying the taxes for it.
Hopefully Skinner & Wiener don’t get involved and demand a safe injection site in the new community center. Expect lots of goofy ideas to be put forth; just like a green rosetta.
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