It is now over a year since Measure P passed and we wanted to give you an update as to where the Club is with our hopes and dreams of a new Clubhouse all of our own.
Since Measure P passed the City and the Parks and Recreation Commission have been busy working on designs for the new Rec. Center. At the same time the Club has continued to grow and last winter it became apparent to the Club that we need a space that is 100% our own. Not only do we need a lot of space to accommodate all our members, but also for issues of security and privacy, we want space that isn’t shared.
So we started looking at other options. We approached the City and the Council about the Vector Control property, immediately adjacent to the Rec. Center and the Ice Rink, as we heard that there were talks of moving all maintenance works to the industrial area. Wendy David and Sue Novasel, amazing supporters of the Club, worked very hard at the City and the County level and we have made some progress. All County Supervisors are open to the proposal to relocate the Vector Control and make the land available for the Club to build a building on. However, the land is most likely contaminated due to all the chemicals that have been used at the site over the past 50 years. Local and State environmental controls would require the land to be cleaned and that could add considerable cost and time to the project.
As the Club continues to grow and change, we aren’t sure that we can afford to wait too much longer. Although Al Tahoe School has not yet re-opened, it is still being considered, and we need to ensure that the Club can continue to operate.
So we came upon a third option which is looking very promising. On Tuesday 14th November, the Club officially asked LTUSD to allow the Club to build on land at Al Tahoe. In fact immediately adjacent to the current gym and kitchen, on land currently occupied by portables, storage containers and a pump house. The LTUSD Board were all in favor and the next step is for the Club and District to meet with architects and designers to see if the plan is feasible.
In the meantime, the City is re-evaluating the current Rec. Center designs to see if they can accommodate our Clubhouse at the same site, and still meet all our community needs and coverage restrictions.
So we have three wonderful options and ultimately will decide what is best for the Club not just now but also in 10, 15, 20 plus years down the road. We are incredibly grateful to some key individuals who have been working hard on our building project: Brooke Laine and Wendy David from our City Council, Sue Novasel and Don Ashton from the County, Dr. Tarwater and all the LTUSD Board Members and particularly our President Terri Arnold and all members of the Executive.
The past 18 months has shown us that the Club is not just needed but also valued by our community and we look forward to exciting times ahead as we push forward to a home of our own.
