The Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday will discuss funding options for the first phase of the city’s Your Parks, Your Future plan, which would include replacing facilities at Heather Farm Park.
The council identified Civic Park Community Center and Assembly Hall, Heather Farm Park Community Center, Clarke Memorial Swim Center, and Shadelands Art Center, as infrastructure priorities for 2017 and 2018.
All four were built in the late 1960s and 70s and were identified as nearing the end of their life spans.
Your Parks, Your Future was initiated in 2018 as a two-phase project. The first would focus on future arts and recreation programming at the four facilities. The second would focus on creating a 10-to-15-year master plan for Heather Farm Park and Civic Park, including design plans.
The council put the project on hold in June 2020, over the COVID-19 shutdowns, but reaffirmed its commitment to the plan in March as a priority for 2021-2022.
The plan for Heather Farm Park will be to combine the community center and bath house into a new building. The council will also consider funding options to build a new 50-meter pool “with the assumption that WCAF (Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation) would raise at least half the cost of the difference between a fully designed 25 meter and 50-meter pool, including bathhouse and decking,” according to a staff report.
The report estimates a future Heather Farm Community Center to cost between $20.59 million and $25.17 million. A future Clarke Memorial Swim Center would cost $16.6 million to $26.42 million, depending on size of the lap pool and recreational pool.
The council would eventually look at funding options, including fees on new developments, grants, community donations, user fee increases, lease-revenue bonds, public-private partnerships, and general or special tax increases. The report recommends the city conduct community outreach on potential funding.
The council will hear a presentation and likely give direction to staff regarding next steps.
The Walnut Creek City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, at the council chamber at 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek. Face masks are required. The meeting can also be seen in at www.zoom.us, webinar ID 829 0337 7920, passcode 167071.
Why not restore this area to its previous, natural state? Or turn it into a homeless shelter?
it already is a homeless shelter…. check it out along the trail
Seems like the council should have been setting aside money for this for some time now. Perhaps let Trinity Homeless services do all their own funding and start putting some funds towards children.
It has a certain charm now. Why screw it up?
I agree. Heather farm has a unique mixture of both rural and lush city park feel. I don’t see that it needs really much changed about it.
Clarke Swim Center should be at the top of the list of these priorities…
Fix the roads and sidewalks first!!! YVR, Oak Grove, the list is endless!!
We have a very poor City Council with their heads on backwards,far more important things to take care of.
.
All means of revenue should be employed to pay for the new and upgraded facilities.
.
ALL OF THE ABOVE.
.
A discussion by any council is just saying it’s a done deal.
Silver has crossed palms.
The arrogant corruption continues.
You pay for it.
They get wealthier.
You get the shaft.
i hope it will be built with equity…
LOL!!
I grew up in Ranco San Miguel the Eichlor homes across Heather Farm. It was my playground. We would catch crawdads with bacon on safety pins on a fishing pole. There were many more trees and old buildings there too. It used to be a great stable for horses and I think Bing Crosby and Art Linkletter were involved. So a historical perspective is always nice. The charm is still there I say too! If it ain’t broke why fix it? Everyone wants to spend money I guess. Leave it!
25 million. I hope you all realize how much money is in between those lines. Hey let’s use this budget surplus to create a project that doesn’t need to be done and take a gross amount of money between the lines. That place needs nothing it’s perfect!
If they’re going to tie up police at Nordstrom they should hire more police. The park is fine.
Get the homeless out of there as it is dangerous for all of us and especially our children. The police need to get back out there in force and the money grab by politicians and others must stop. Stop spending money on foolishness it just keeps attracting more and more of the criminals and property destruction to those who pay more than their fair share.
The councils in various cities need to start getting their heads out of their proverbial behinds and get back on track and stop pandering to the latest round of entitlement threats.
It’s been going downhill since they pulled the fence out of the pond.