Starr Community Center & Spath Aquatic Facility Shine True

Story by Lisa Norman

Standing outside the C.V. Starr Community Center that houses the Sigrid and Harry Spath Aquatic Facility, on the eve of its grand opening, Tessie Branscomb, Mendocino Coast Recreation and Park District’s Aquatic Director says, “I have mixed feelings.” She took her last noontime swim in the old recreation center pool, and that evening, August 21, 2009 the heat was turned off. Branscomb’s efforts to build a new swim center began in 1973 when a special district was formed for such purpose; she was an original board member and aquatic director, and has worked on the project since its inception.

While the future of the drained pool is left to the city of Fort Bragg, the future of the new community center and aquatic facility is “up to the community.” “It represents achievement,” continues Gladys Thomas, vice president of the Starr Foundation who granted three million dollars over a three-year period in addition to considerable challenge grant money. The new facility is “technologically advanced,” adds Thomas at the grand opening August 22 before approximately five hundred people, and it’s an “opportunity for the future.”

The celebration and center’s debut came a hundred years after Cornelius Vander Starr graduated from Fort Bragg High School. Known as Neil Starr on graduation day, the festive opening was a grand occasion to honor the “man of great vision, intelligence and generosity who formed a series of insurance companies that became the largest insurance company in the world. We have come together to celebrate the realization of a dream,” says Lin Barrett, Development Director. “The theme of this campaign has been ‘Make the Dream a Reality.’ And with all of your help, we have done exactly that.”

Barrett reminisces, “It has taken almost forty years to realize the dream…There is no way to honor all of you who have worked persistently, dauntlessly, to conceive of and build this forty-three thousand square foot, $23 million-dollar facility for all of us…It takes a community to build a community center, and you are the community that did just that!”

Phase One: Water World of Fun and Health
For those who missed the tour, Bill Irwin, MCRPD Administrator describes the various interior areas and rooms within the community/aquatics center facility. “The Natatorium is where both large swimming pool areas are enclosed under a covered structure, where the air temperatures and water temperatures are highly monitored and regulated.”

The competition swimming pool will be around 79 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. The water temperature for the leisure pool with all the other water features such as water slide, lazy river, plunge pool and zero-depth entry shall be maintained between 85 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. And District staff shall place pool covers on the pool on a daily basis to mitigate water temperature degree loss in the off-use evening hours.

Irwin continues, “There is a competition pool that has eight lanes for swimming competition and has a deep end with twelve-and-a-half feet of depth under a one-meter diving board. There are aluminum bleachers set up adjacent to the competition pool that can hold up to more than a hundred spectators while they view competition swimming. Adjacent to the competition pool is a central water feature of the Natatorium, which is a thirty-foot-high structure with a spiral staircase that leads to a 145-foot-long water slide that snakes down and discharges into a shallow three-foot plunge pool, a few feet below the concrete deck level. A small two hundred-plus-foot-long lazy river water channel was developed to provide a flowing channel of water for swimmers to float in inner tubes provided free with their admission fees. But watch out as the water tipping buckets fill up and provide an intermittent dumping of water on unsuspecting guests while they leisurely float in the water channel.”

The water slide and lazy river features are part of the leisure pool area, a warmer pool environment for those visitors and rehabilitation patients that seek the warmer water for its therapeutic values. Over the last two years, there had been initial discussions on a partnership agreement with Mendocino Coast District Hospital to utilize the new community/aquatic center’s areas and facilities “for assisting those hospital patients that might be infirm and need to be rehabilitated to be 100 percent whole in physical wellness,” shares Irwin. “In the last few months, the District has initiated serious discussions on how the Mendocino Coast District Hospital may utilize the physical fitness room and all its equipment as kind of a satellite office or extension of the MCDH offices and rehab equipment. MCRPD now has the water therapy areas in the leisure pool which can be heated up to 86 degrees. District officials met with hospital officials in March and April to determine the number of physical fitness apparatus that would provide patients in need of rehabilitation the best mix of equipment in the area. Appointments for utilization and visits to District-owned facilities shall be under the guidance of professional trained physical therapists to enter into a physical fitness or therapy program,” describes Irwin.

Not part of the Natatorium but related to the therapy aspect of the center, is the physical therapy room adjacent to the physical fitness room which lies beyond the front desk entrance. This is where a qualified physical therapist might meet the patients referred to by the hospital to conduct rehabilitation of the body as needed. Irwin says, “It is anticipated that there are more than three thousand patients each year that may be referred to by the hospital for rehabilitation programs and individual assistance in water exercise and water therapy at the center.” Irwin adds, “Also, the District will be reaching out to other physical therapists that conduct physical rehabilitation activities for their clients and inform them of our fees and policies that will allow those other patients to participate in utilizing water therapy areas and specialized physical fitness equipment.”

Back in the Natatorium, one advantage of the leisure pool for recreation and/or rehabilitation is the zero-depth pool entry area. “The zero-depth pool entry area goes from zero inches in depth to about three feet in depth for those youngsters that are not trained swimmers at their young age. This is an area primarily with splashing water features and sounds whereby young parents and their children can frolic in the water in very safe water depth and not to be too concerned about drowning because of the shallowness of this area,” Irwin offers. “And both the competition pool and the leisure pool have areas set aside for lap swimming and physical exercise in the water. A lot of the leisure pool areas will be used by therapeutic rehabilitation classes and for individual instruction by physical therapists to their patients. The lazy river with its strong current that circulates in a circular motion around the plunge pool from the water slide shall be used for water resistance walking in the pool to strengthen leg muscles and knees and other parts of the lower human body. So the District will have probably the best aquatic features for water-related rehabilitation and therapy.”

Area high schools may contact the District about using specific areas and facilities within the C.V. Starr Community Center for special use and special events. Irwin observes, “There are presently no high school swim teams in the area and now that the brand-new facility is completed, there might be some renewed interest to create some water aquatics swim teams for local youth to participate in actual competition swimming and/or water polo. Also, there may be some recreation classes in scuba diving and kayaking at the pool through the winter months to better train and prepare those interested in outdoor water sports and related pursuits.”

Phase Two: Multi-Use Practicality and Creativity
“As we go into the Phase Two or the community center portion of the community/aquatic center complex, we enter into the changing rooms, locker rooms, restrooms and hot shower facilities. There are shower facilities for handicapped persons and there are family changing rooms, whereby a family can prepare to enter the pool by suiting up together as a family in two private dressing rooms with restroom facilities, too,” Irwin relates.

Beyond that practical use of facility, the center offers various rooms for rent. At the end of the entryway corridor is a large multi-purpose room that may be “used for training purposes, public meetings, the District board meetings, weddings and other special event occasions,” Irwin describes. “There is a state-of-the-art electronic screen and audio-visual projection system that groups may utilize for training and classroom purposes. There is a small catering kitchen adjacent to the multi-purpose room #3 which can accommodate up 121 persons. The adjacent catering kitchen is set up with the appropriate commercial kitchen equipment with a refrigerator and freezer for temporary storage for a special event, but there is no oven or warming devices at present. Therefore, a catering specialist will need to come prepared to warm their own foods for any occasion held at multi-purpose room #3.”

Beyond the main entrance, midway in the entryway corridor there is a hardwood floor dance/aerobics room with mirrors on the walls and a sound system. This room can be utilized for recreation programs that the District sponsors; the variety of physical fitness equipment available include yoga mats, weights, and step platforms for use in physical workout.

At the start of the entryway corridor, adjacent to the dance/aerobics room, is the physical fitness room. “This room has been outfitted with two large elevated television sets for persons’ viewing pleasure while they actively exercise and participate in their physical fitness workout. The District in partnership with the local Mendocino Coast District Hospital has selected a variety of exercise equipment apparatus and regimes that will provide a variety of exercise values for those persons that are rehabilitating various parts of their body. The hospital staff will be occupying the adjacent physical therapy room in which patients will receive instruction and guidance at their appointed times for physical exercise and workout.”

Across the main reception and registration desk is the lounge area equipped with wireless Internet access, food and beverage vending machines, and bistro-style tables and chairs, not to mention direct viewing onto the slide and leisure pool area through a glass wall. Next-door to this area are multi-purpose rooms 1 and 2 which have access into the Natatorium, great for hosting a poolside birthday party.

Economic Update
Before the new District Administrator was hired in February 2009, there had been several consultant studies completed to determine the feasibility of the anticipated revenues versus expenditures to ascertain the economic viability of the C.V. Starr Community/Aquatic center in its first year of operation and into the future. Since the majority of the studies were completed in 2007, new fees and charges to consider in the community center’s first year of operations from August 22, 2009 to the end of the fiscal year budget on June 30, 2010 have been introduced. Add to that the loss of two months of potential revenue caused by delays in construction and delays in the District’s recreation activity plan, and there is much financially to consider in the center’s future.

The projected annual costs in the maintenance and operation of the entire community/aquatic facility shall be in excess of $500,000, says Irwin. “The majority, about 65 percent of that amount shall be in personnel costs to provide needed staff for public safety. The District shall need thirty-four lifeguards and four lifeguard supervisors to provide coverage in both pool areas at peak times and throughout the annual coverage of the facility. We shall be adapting to a schedule of usage in the aquatic center and downsize accordingly as needed. The District staff shall monitor visitation usage and adapt to a variety of conditions as the public uses the facilities. It has been calculated that our revenues with all the associated fees and charges for use of the building by general mission and/or long-term passes shall offset the majority of our anticipated expenses. But all the revenues in prior expenditures predictions are just that, if the public doesn’t frequent the community/aquatic facilities as the District hopes they will as paying customers to generate sufficient revenues to pay most of the anticipated expenses.”

The installation of the solar panels on the structure’s roof on the south-facing side of the Natatorium might provide financial benefits and savings on electrical utilities expenses. However, notes Irwin, “It is yet to be determined all the financial benefits and savings on electrical utilities expenses to the District until we actually have the units installed where we could monitor costs and savings. The District has been advised that the electrical utility savings could be as high as 50 percent, but until we actually see the electrical usage and associated costs for that usage it is an unknown at this time. Also, there is a small rebate from the electrical companies when public agencies install solar panels to reduce consumption of electrical energy. It is anticipated that the electrical panels for saving electricity shall be installed no later than October 15.”

Ideally the center provides an economic boost to the area with the provision of several dozen new job opportunities for persons of all ages in various roles of public service. With the various pool zones, the 145-foot-long water slide and lazy river water features, Irwin estimates forty part-time staff in the peak usage times to provide the required support staff when the public visitation is at its highest during the summer months. “There’ll be additional swimming and water instructors (three), twenty-four more lifeguards, two senior lifeguards, seven admission/reception staff and staff hired for the physical fitness and aerobics rooms to assist the public in utilizing specialized fitness equipment. The district also will hire three additional full-time positions to be upgraded from previous part-time positions to adequately maintain and operate the new community center. Several positions have been upgraded because of added and assumed job tasks and responsibilities that must be performed by staff to serve the increased number of anticipated users for both phases of the new center.”

“Obviously, if the District can now offer three more full-time jobs and forty-plus part-time jobs, there will be that many more people receiving paychecks in which to purchase things as they live in this community. So the District in essence, does assist the local economy by providing new job opportunities for local residents. Although we are in a down-turned economy, the District feels that area residents have been waiting for this new community/aquatic center for more than thirty years and we trust that the District’s residents will respond in a positive way and frequent the new facility to enjoy their recreational pursuits, while at the same time have knowledge they’re helping their fellow residents with employment opportunities,” Irwin states.

And what about the area health clubs and sport facilities already in existence? Is this new center a threat to their existence? Irwin offers, “It was never the District’s intent to provide competition to local businesses that specialize in providing health club opportunities and physical fitness equipment. The original intent of the District’s long-time movement was to create a new swimming pool and associated water features to serve the recreating public. The District is a public agency whereby the other two health clubs in town are primarily private businesses. The residents in the District have an opportunity to inspect all the various recreational areas and facilities and determine their options and choices as to what they would like to utilize. Obviously, price has a great bearing on whether someone pays for access to one recreation/health facility or another. The District is now the proud owner of the largest and most comprehensive recreational indoor facility on the Mendocino Coast. And, the public that frequents our facility shall have an opportunity to make their own choice as to where they would like to conduct their personal physical fitness activity with the rest of their family members.

“The District shall never do anything to discriminate or advertise negatively against the other established health club or sports/recreational businesses in the Fort Bragg area. It is anticipated that the newer and more comprehensive recreational facility at the C.V. Starr Center will attract persons that have previously been associated with the local health clubs. Each of the existing recreational providers has there own unique recreational facilities and programs and associated support facilities that may make their businesses unique and attractive to the paying public. For instance, the District does not offer any kind of a childcare provision while the parents may be working out at the facility.”

Phase Three Follows
“The plans are there,” says architect Paul Douglas. “For more than ten years, there have been plans (drawings) to develop a multi-court gymnasium facility to provide for other indoor recreational activities and sports,” concurs Irwin. “In addition, there are drawings whereby there may be additional recreation activity classrooms, kitchen areas, childcare rooms and an arts-and-crafts room to accommodate those specialized types of indoor recreational activities that the District could operate out of one central community center.”

Irwin continues, “This addition yet to be fully identified shall be called Phase Three. Phase Three is awaiting the announcement of Proposition 84, a recreation funding program, which is a statewide bond measure for recreational areas and facilities development approved by the voters in state of California in November 2006. For almost three years, parks and recreation professionals have been awaiting the official release of the program application materials for all designated to park and recreation agencies to compete for limited funding in the future. This third phase component shall be constructed adjacent to the newly completed Phase One and Phase Two of the community/aquatic center. Phase Three shall be described in a prepared state grant application to be submitted hopefully in the very near future. When the grant assistance program is announced and becomes available, the district will have six months to prepare an application that will need to compete statewide for a limited amount of funding that totals $186 million. Grants for this new program may be written up for up to $5 million per project. The Phase Three building portion is the district’s number one priority project for 2009–10. The District has an excellent opportunity of competing statewide because the grant application guidelines speak favorably to the Mendocino Coast area to receive additional funds for those proposed recreation areas and facilities that provide for new recreational opportunities.”

The District will eventually develop a Spa component item within one year of its grand opening to provide a hot water environment with therapeutic value for the general public and rehabilitation patients. “At the time, it was a reluctant decision to eliminate this Spa component item from the project, but due to the overall projects financial constraints, this cutback decision had to be made. But it is the intent of the District to secure the necessary financial assistance to develop this Spa component feature as soon as possible,” Irwin says.

Community for Healthy Recreation
“Let’s keep it open,” enthuses Branscomb, who anticipates the need for future donors. Governor Schwarzenegger would agree on the merit of such work. His congratulatory letter was read aloud at the grand opening, and he applauded the community for its accomplishment in exalting physical fitness and recreational activities through the C.V. Star Community Center for a healthier state of California.

“The community center was designed to serve all ages of populations from ages two to ninety-two years and beyond,” Irwin comments. “With that said, it is the District’s intent to integrate all ages of persons, from small children to elderly people fifty years and older, and encourage their frequent use of the community/aquatic center and request that they understand and appreciate that it is a community building serving all ages of the public. The Baby Boomer generation is now in their fifties or early sixties and comprises the largest segment of the general population in the United States.
The local city and county statistics on population demographics clearly denote that there is aging population of seniors that reside on the Mendocino Coast and comprise the majority of residents. As the Baby Boom generation becomes grandparents and great grandparents, it is sincerely the hope of the District that this population of new seniors utilizes the new rehabilitation facilities, whether it be the physical fitness, aerobics rooms and/or the leisure pool, which has a higher water temperature for its therapeutic values.”