Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutNB 2 TUSTIN SR CTR 09-16-85,~ ~ ~ ~ .- .! ~ ~ ! . .- 9-16-85 Inter- Corn DATE: September 10, 1985 TO: FROM: S U BJ ECT: Honorable Mayor and City Council Director of Community and Administrative Services FINAL DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REPORT AND MASTER PLAN FOR TUSTIN AREA SENIOR CENTER RECOMMENDATION: Approve final Design Development Report and Master Plan for Tusttn Area Senior Center. e Authorize staff to proceed with preliminary construction plans and outline specifications, and then to final construction plans and specifications--not to exceed budgeted amount of $120,000. (The City Council will have the opportunity to review the preliminary construction plans and outline speciftcatons before final construction plans, specifications, and bid documents are completed.) BACKGROUND: At Council's request, the Steering Committee for a Senior Center {SCSC) and the City Council convened a workshop session on Monday, September 9, 1985. At that time, the Steering Committee for a Senior Center gave a formal presentation to the members of the City Council regarding progress to date. (The final Design Development Report had been mailed out to the Council previously.) To briefly summarize what has happened thusfar, the present Steering Committee for a Senior Center was formed by the Council in August, 1983, to review the need, establish the feasibility, and develop a realistic program and scope for the project. The Committee individually and collectively visited a number of existing centers in Orange County including Westminster, Buena Park, Cypress, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Fullerton, Newport Beach, Irvine, Orange, Huntington Beach, and Santa Ana. In addition, members have visited centers throughout the country on their vacations including centers in Texas, Washington, New York, Northern California, Canada and Colorado. FINAL DESIGN REPORT Page 2 September 10, 1985 Amenities which these facilities had, but the Steering Committee for a Senior Center chose not to include in the name of cost efficiency include: elderly day care, dirty crafts, extra office space, special exercise rooms and special facilities. The committe then reported to the City Council on March 5, 1984, with a report on the committee's progress to date. The committee at that time received the unanimous support of the City Council who directed the committee to continue its efforts and directed staff to work with the committee to develop scope requirements and estimated costs for a senior center. Following the Council's blessing, staff arranged with a consultant, "Recreation Systems Inc.", to work with the committee. This committee held many working sessions. A series of four separate conceptual studies were developed to clarify different interpretations of need and to focus in on space requirements. All ideas and a number of solutions were discussed frankly and in detail. The dedicated effort evidenced by all members of the committee was instrumental to the resolution of concerns, and although agreement was not unanimous in all aspects of the planning effort, consensus was clearly evident in the basic need for a senior center and its general intent. During the course of scope reftnement,'the committee worked hard with the consultant and staff to identify uses for the building. Many items were taken into consideration and many long hours were given by committee members to make a contribution to this effort. Committee members did a sensible thing: they allowed design to evolve from current program use. Since there is a senior program on-going in many different locations, all over the Tustin area, these programs were all taken into consideration during the design phase. In addition to capacity for current and future services and programs, future growth in the service area was a factor. By the year 1990, forecasters assert that there will be a 51 percent increase in senior population countywide. Even though this particular site is dedicated to senior citizens, the building is designed so that many uses can be ongoing at one time. When senior citizens are not utilizing the building, it can be used for other groups for added income to offset operation costs. As a matter of fact, design is such that a major event could be going on in the Auditorium, while senior citizens are using the Classroom Wing for meetings and so forth, or, Community Services classes could be going on in the Classroom Wing while the seniors were utilizing the Auditorium for a major event. Likewise, cost effectiveness has been designed into the facility regarding heating, ventilating, and air conditioning. In addition, high durability and low maintenance materials will be used in building construction. FINAL DESIGN REPORT Page 3 September 10, 1985 The site selection phase of the project took close to a year and was evaluated in detail. The committee, staff, and the consultant reviewed all the alternatives, including a new building, renovating old buildings, closed school sites, acquisition of a mobile or portable building, renovation of existing sites, and others. In addition to cost effective factors, the committee also reviewed demographics of the area surrounding the site, in order to make the facility expectally accessible to senior adults. A senior citizens center should be accessible to public transportation, as well as other amenities. The committee and the senior community at large was thrilled to hear that the City Council had approved the purchase of 1.2 acres of Tustin Unified School District Land in order to procure a site for the Tustln Area Senior Center. This site was perfect as regards to all considerations for a senior center. As Council is aware, the staff has recently applied for $1.2 million in Senior Center Bond Act Funds. In addition, $154,000 is being applied for as a transfer from Columbus Tustin to the senior center project. On top of that amount, staff will apply for $20,000. in Roberti/Z'Berg/Harris funding. In addition to that, staff will apply for $200,000 in 1985 state Competitive Parks and Recreation Bond Act Grants. This totals ~1,574,000. In addition, the City has committed $775,000. for land acaufsition, and $120,000. is in the 1985/86 budget for working drawings and bid documents. The possibility exists for $10,000 to $50,000 in County Housing and Community Development Block Grant funds which Council members are pursuing in the political domain. This committee, however, does not expect government to be the only support to this project. The Steering Committee for a Senior Center has developed a fundraising committee which will raise funds in the private sector. In another agenda item during this evening's meeting, Council has been requested to approve staff time to assist the fundraising committe in establishing a non-profit organization. This organization will be responsible for raising funds in the private sector, under the direction of Ken Hoesterey and Margrete Thompson. FINAL DESIGN REPORT Page 4 September 10, 1985 Some have suggested justification for center size based on population. The consultant will tell you that each community is different: and while some communities which are larger than us may have smaller Senior Centers, they are all bursting at the seams. Some Senior Centers do not include a nutrition program as ours will, and so do not need the space. Our Senior Citizens Center does not come from some magic formula which apportions so many square feet of space to each senior citizen. Rather, the size of our center comes from the very real needs of the Tustin area senior adult citizens. The specific size and function of our center is a result of years of study and work by this committee, the staff, and the consultant. As you are aware, this senior center is supported in the community. At this time we have collected thousands of signatures of support. These people are more than willing to contribute to private fundraising, as well as participate at meetings to express their support. The SCSC committee and the senior community are totally committed to a Tusttn Area Senior Citizens Center. They stand behind the plan presented to you today. This plan is not a whim or a "nice-to-have" concept. This plan is the result of hundreds of hours of study, work, compromises, and research into the needs of the Tusttn area senior adult community. The SCSC members are willing to make this vision become a reality by raising a lot of the funds privately. They ask you to join them in this commitment and this vision. Royleen A. White, Director Community and Administrative Services RAW:ls