By Megan Ma
Los Altos city councilmembers Aug. 29 appointed the local citizens group SPLASH to lead the design phase for the Rosita Park pool project.
The decision marks a significant victory for local pool champions who have been working with the city to organize a design team since Covington Pool was demolished in February 2001. The Los Altos School District shut down the pool due to renovations on Covington school.
Assisting SPLASH (Swimmers Promoting Los Altos Aquatics Safety and Health) will be Rosita Park neighbors and members of a council subcommittee, the
Traffic Commission and the Parks, Art and Recreation Commission. City staff will not be involved.
The swimming pool facility will include a large community pool and a children’s wading pool area. Public Works Director Jim Porter estimated the cost at $6.3 million, with SPLASH members providing approximately $4 million.
SPLASH member John Day said he was excited about the news.
“It’s a major event - one of the largest public projects in Los Altos in a long time,” he said. “It’s a community-driven affair and will it’s really for the children.”
Pool advocates plan to follow the same method for fundraising and construction as the community-led Los Altos History House model, Day said.
SPLASH members have been committed to raising the funds to design and construct the new aquatic center on city-donated land. But Day cautioned that the cost figures were tentative.
“Until we have a design, we don’t really have a budget. Once
we get a contract from the city next month, we’ll be running,” he said.
According to Porter’s report to the council, the project costs may include a 4,000-to-5,000-squarefoot building for restrooms, lockers and an office; demolition of the former Rosita Gym; modification of the parking lot, and other construction costs.
The city, which approved the project and donated the use of the land in 2000, will pay for basic infrastructure, including paths, street parking and surrounding landscaping.
A community-driven rather than a staff-driven process could mean the pool opens at least a year earlier than planned, said Day in his report to the council. Community members are not bound by some of the procedural restrictions that would tie up city staff.
If all goes as planned, the pool complex could open as early as fall 2008, Councilwoman Val Carpenter said.
Carpenter, who plans to raise money with the council subcommittee, said a city-staff-driven process would have been equally effective, but added that she approves of SPLASH members leading the process.
Councilman David Casas spoke in favor of a community-driven process while noting that all the players, including the city council, have a collective responsibility to see the project through.
“We are all accountable,” he said. “We are all on the hook no matter who manages this.”
In other action, city council members:
• Voted 4-1 to appeal planning commission approval Aug. 17 of a use permit for a MetroPCS antenna atop the St. William Catholic Church Parish Hall. The council will review the city’s wireless ordinance and will vote on the permit at its Sept. 26 meeting.
• Appropriated $2,500 from the operating reserve to Wireless Silicon Valley. The city is considering setting up citywide wireless Internet access through WSV, a task force hired by Intel to develop Wi-Fi coverage in area cities.
• Voted to rescind parking restrictions from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Joel Way, from 1728 to 1752.
• Postponed discussion of proposed zoning and land use changes for San Antonio Road between Pasa Robles Avenue and El Camino Real until Tuesday’s meeting.
