The Danville Aquatic Center committee met with town staff and members of the Town Council recently to discuss funding for a 35-meter swimming pool alongside the existing pool at San Ramon Valley High School.
The committee is asking the town for $750,000; the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation for $1.8 million; and $250,000 from Contra Costa County, Alamo special district R7A. Their original funding request to R7A was turned down but fundraisers are hopeful that the recently appointed R7A committee may be more receptive.
Some $600,000 in pledges has been raised from more than 300 families, said Grant Finlayson, chairman of the committee to raise funds for the Danville Aquatic Center. In addition to the pledges, money was raised by Ken Harmon, a Danville man who swam the length of Lake Tahoe in August expressly to raise money for the project.
The total cost of the pool will be $3.4 million, said Finlayson.
At the study session, council members were concerned mostly with ensuring that the community would benefit from the new pool, not just the high school. Finlayson said the students would get first use but that greater Danville and Alamo would also benefit.
Councilman Mike Shimansky brought up the joint venture between the town and the school district at the Monte Vista Community Pool at Monte Vista High School. The 25-meter pool, which was a concern for years but only built a few years ago, was a joint project between Danville, the school district and the county. Danville committed $375,000, and the county contributed $250,000. The purpose of the community pool for Danville was to find a space for its summer aquatic program.
Shimansky said he has heard several complaints from residents about being kicked out of the pool by student activities and team practices.
“We were given all kinds of assurances of how the school was going to work with the pool,” said Shimansky. “As soon as they got our money, the cooperation went down hill.”
Mayor Mike Doyle echoed these concerns. He told of how his wife and her aquatic class were once “run out” of the pool at Monte Vista.
“If I had any inkling of that I wouldn’t have given them 5 cents,” said Doyle. “We need great assurances that this is going to be shared by the public.”
Finlayson explained that Monte Vista only has one pool, whereas the Danville Aquatic Center will have two. Team practice could take place in one pool and aquatic classes in another.
Vice Mayor Karen Stepper suggested that a schedule be hammered out so the Town Council could see how much the community would get to use the pool.
While the design for the pool is being reviewed by the Division of the State Architect, fundraisers are busy raising the remaining $2.8 million in funds to construct the pool. Committee members are also in the process of preparing their application to the Valley Foundation and expect to have it in by the end of this month.
The effort to build an additional pool for school and community use began in 2002. Finlayson said students, club swimmers, and adult swimmers needed a better facility.
“It will triple the available pool space at the school site,” said Finlayson. “It should have ample room to accommodate all the needs of the town, school and community groups.”
He noted that the $600,000 in pledges are contingent upon the timely completion of the pool.
“People aren’t going to throw money into a black hole,” Finlayson explained. “We made their pledges contingent on the pool proceeding on a certain time table.”
In order to break ground on the project in March, funding needs to be completed by February. If construction starts in March, organizers expect the pool to be up and running at the end of next summer, said Finlayson.
Town Council members were also concerned about who would be responsible for renovating the existing swimming pool at San Ramon Valley High. The estimated cost for renovations is $600,000, according to the aquatic center committee. The school district has given an oral agreement to renovate the pool, said Finlayson. Nothing, however, has been put in writing.
Councilman Newell Arnerich admonished the school district for not allocating enough of its Measure A funds to San Ramon Valley High.
“San Ramon Valley High School got a raindrop,” Arnerich said. “The school district should step up and renovate the pool. Our oldest school site hasn’t gotten its fair share.”
Councilwoman Candace Andersen asked if the town could get assurances of mutual benefit in writing.
A written agreement is an attainable goal, said Marcia Somers of the Danville Facilities Department, in an interview after the meeting. She noted that Danville has a long history of joint projects with the school district and said she is now talking with school site staff, coaches and administrators to come up with a schedule for the pool.
One goal for Danville, said Somers, is to provide year-round programming for adult swimmers. “We haven’t had the ability to have year-round programming,” she said. “People who are in masters swimming and water aerobics want a consistent program.”
Sommers estimated that there would be another study session on the Danville Aquatic Center because the council members had so many questions. After the next study session, the allocation request will go before the Town Council.
Finlayson said he feels optimistic about the aquatic center’s prospects. He believes the school district and Danville are enthusiastic about the project and that all recognize the need for an expanded pool facility.
