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Discussions are continuing regarding the future of the new YMCA facility planned to be built in Alamo, but no decisions have been made yet, Rick Callaway, Mt. Diablo Region YMCA Association chairman, reported today.
On March 2, the Mt. Diablo Y announced a restructuring plan that included closing its facility in Oakley at the end of this month as well as discontinuing the health and fitness programs at the Clayton Community Gym.
In that press release, Callaway stated, “These closures, as painful as they are, will allow the Mt. Diablo Region YMCA to continue to serve families and children at childcare sites throughout the county, at the Irvin Deutscher Family YMCA in Pleasant Hill and through family and sports programs in the San Ramon Valley.”
In 1999, the San Ramon Valley YMCA publicly kicked off its Capital Campaign and Building project. Fundraising during the last few years has targeted the $9.1 million needed to build the 29,000-square-foot facility in Alamo. So far $2.1 million has been raised, said Callaway.
The site is adjacent to Hap Magee Ranch Park, which is on the Danville-Alamo border, but plans to the new facility allow access only via Danville Boulevard and Lewis Lane in Alamo. A concrete bridge to the 12-acre property was built last year from Lewis Lane but no other construction has been done.
The San Ramon Valley Y has been operating out of the Cottage at Hap Magee Ranch Park since 1995 but it will now move the administrative functions to its Pleasant Hill offices March 31. It has programs for children, teens and families as well as vacation camps and sports held at local sports fields and schools in the San Ramon Valley. Its flag football and touch rugby for ages 5-11 begin in April.
“No changes are planned,” said Callaway by e-mail, referring to the San Ramon Valley programs.
Dear Dolores,
No current MDR YMCA association board member is a credible source for the accounting and planning that will describe the realities in SRV YMCA.
With volumes of documentation now available to discount this story we can only wonder why Bill and Gina placed your name on it. It is shameful to see what was quality journalism proved cover for the Y while they try to create replacement funds.
Embarcadero Media Corporation should be totally embarrassed by this story.
Hal/CDSI
The Y folks are going to get a sore on their collective tongues.
(This comes from lying in case you’re from Rio Linda)
Money should not be the only concern. The mammoth traffic snarl which will be generated has not been addressed unless in private somewhere.
If this facility opens, there will be traffic from the narrow two lane Danville Blvd. which will be fed by Hemme Ave where there is a projected new fire house at the corner a few feet from Love Ln., with a learning center right across the street, then a child care center a few feet up Hemme, then Rancho Romero grammar school. All along the way, each site has declared none blockage of its drive way to traffic, further causing longer and longer traffic lines backed up and around onto Danville Blvd sometimes for a quarter of a mile north on Danville Bld.
All of these contribute to giant traffic issues currently, with CHP finally entering the picture telling all parents not to form a “third” lane to navigate the very narrow Hemme Ave. which only serves to push back the line-up even further north on Danville Blvd. Not to address the left turn from Danville onto Hemme which further serves to block, delay, jam the intersection because CHP has declared that NO THIRD LANE can be created.
Clearly, not enough careful scrutiny has been done to help this traffic snafu.
Certainly by now “someone” has seen and reported on this mammoth traffic snarl each and every day, sometimes weekends with sports fields being put to use.
Surely someone has addressed this somewhere!
What did they conclude or will this be announced after the fact?
Little has been done to provide safety to all on this section of Hemme during the AM and PM school traffic patterns. There are many ways to provide this safety but no definite plan has emerged from the powers that be. Might this be addressed after the fact again?
If you have problems on this part of Hemme and/or see the issue getting bigger with YMCA coming to town, please comment and help save the day before its too late.
f.olivas
Dear Dolores,
For those that wish to revisit a questionable environmental impact study from the original SRV YMCA approval by the county, there are several issues to examine that are now documented and on file with county public works.
#1) the traffic solution at Hemme/Lewis lane requires expansion of the roadway for turning lanes. Caltrans filed an opinion that the plan would not significantly reduce traffic hazards or congestion in the expanded intersection at commute hours and during school delivery and pick-up.
#2 The bridge construction did violate certain environmental protection requirements. The Army Corp of Engineers as the maintenance group for San Ramon Creek flood control has copies of federal and state fish & game reports on such violations.
#3 The bridge design does not meet safety standards, according to OSHA reports, and such reports suggest that insufficient safety barriers are available to children walking to and from the site across the bridge and on the planned paths.
Ms. Kathy Chiverton, Executive Director, SRV YMCA and former Chief of Staff for District III during the original SRV YMCA approval would likely be able to provide all documents reference for neighbors and your review. Please visit her at the Cottage, Hap Magee Ranch Park during business hours.
As a community courtesy,
Hal/CDSI
Dear Dolores,
Today, a delightful, and thoughtful, pseudonym contacted CDSI Info to ask, “WHO is discussing the SRV YMCA?” As “caterpillar” continued the questioning it became apparent that this pseudonym wanted to know if any YMCA personnel or volunteers had discussed issues with the community? The point caterpillar made, in absence of Alice, is communities create and support community programs and where is that discussion for the YMCA?
Should we think this to be a private party with those too late to answer questions or to MAD to want to discuss community interests.
“Who?” said the caterpillar,
Hal/CDSI
Dear Dolores,
I just received notice from resident counsel confirming all MDR YMCA finance and accounting people have been removed from association headquarters. Among the six individuals that provided CFO support to MDR YMCA Board Chair and CEO, there has been a willingness to define the fiscal issues of MDR YMCA and their branches. Key is the shortfall is fund raising and the uses of donations to pay for general operations including salaries and related rewards.
What is important to your reporting is finding appropriate sources that will define current fiscal issues that occurred as a result of management and board direction of operations and accounting. Counsel’s summary confirmed various misdirection of fees and donations to cover operating expenses that led to a fiscal crisis and investigation of practices.
Once again, a very-savvy majority of residents understand our region’s continuing fiscal crisis in governments, districts, associations and other service organizations. The interest now is to know what our region’s community of neighborhoods can offer to resolve such service issues. A clear disclosure by MDR YMCA’s association board would go a long way to inviting positive participation by our region’s neighborhoods. Continuing efforts to avoid disclosure will likely lead to firm demands that YMCA operations be replaced at our schools and in our recreation programming.
It is more than a story now,
Hal/CDSI