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Public eyes pool plan

Plans for a swimming pool complex in downtown Sonoma were unveiled to a supportive crowd at Ramekins Tuesday.

About 60 people saw the conceptual plans for what is tentatively titled the Sonoma Athletic Center, which supporters hope to build on the site of the former Sonoma Truck and Auto on Broadway.

Presented by Citizens United for a Sonoma Pool (CUSP), the conceptual design was prepared by Sonoma architect Sidney Hoover. The current plan calls for a 25-meter, nine-lane swimming pool, a therapy pool, a wading pool (recently added) and an 80-foot- long climbing wall built to international standards. Also on the site would be a dance/Pilates studio suitable for ballet and aerobics. The climbing walls and studio would be housed in separate structures. A support building would contain lockers, toilets, showers, and retail space.

Sam Coturri, a member of CUSP, made a presentation describing how the uses were determined, the sites that were reviewed and rejected, and criteria used.

“We wanted the complex to have long-term economic viability, an accessible, non-controversial location, with enough room for parking,” said Coturri. He added that the committee wanted to be able to build a facility with “meaningful” public access. One of the reasons for initially rejecting a site on the grounds of the Sonoma Valley High School was the perception that only school access would be permitted during school hours.

School Superintendent Luann Carlomagno said she was not positive that was the case, but would look into the matter and get an answer to the committee.

Estimated cost of the complex is $5.75 million, although organizers said it is too early to pin down exact costs and did not identify specific funding sources. In the past, Sonoma Valley Unified School District had set aside $1.5 million for a pool, but it had to be built on school property.

The Sonoma City Council, which made a public pool one of its top three priorities last year, could have used redevelopment funds for a capital expenditure of this type. But city redevelopment agencies were dissolved Feb. 1 by the state legislature – a decision that has been upheld by the courts.

Paul Favaro, another CUSP member, said the complex would have to be a public/private partnership, at least in terms of operations. As a multi-use facility, portions of the ancillary buildings could be rented out and both the school district and the city could lease space for school or public use. This would provide a dedicated revenue stream for operations and maintenance.

Two Council members, Tom Rouse and Ken Brown, sit on the committee as private citizens. The city-sponsored subcommittee was disbanded last year, and the two have served privately along with Coturri, Favaro, and Arden Kremer.

So far, the 1.9-acre parcel, at the corner of Broadway and East MacArthur, is the preferred site. It is owned by the heirs of the late Bob Bohna. Herb Heil, Realtor representing the property, spoke at the meeting and stated that the property is available, the price is $2,350,000 and the heirs are open to offers from all potential buyers.

“Any offer must include documentation of all funds necessary to close and the escrow must not be excessively long,” he said.

Other sites evaluated by CUSP included Sonoma Valley High School, Sassarini Elementary School, the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building property, Maxwell Park and Sonoma Rentals.

The Broadway property is zoned mixed commercial and planning commission approval is not an insurmountable issue, according to city staff. But there are two existing buildings on the site that might be problematic. One is the former office and showroom for the truck and auto business and the other is a wooden building that is listed in historic inventories as the original Sonoma High School building until it moved into its current location in 1923. Both are more than 50 years old and would trigger historical evaluations.

Next steps for CUSP are to expand the committee, develop a business plan, launch a capital campaign, and continue to evaluate additional sites, according to Coturri. Once a site is finally determined, they would begin the government approval process.

During the question-and-answer period, about a dozen people spoke, suggesting additional uses such as swimming lessons, offering their services on the fund-raising team, and asking that the high school site be re-evaluated. Ideas to investigate included resurrecting the old Parks and Recreation District, adding a ramp into the pool, holding neighborhood meetings, and meeting with the City early to find out what potential concerns might be.

Although the meeting was attended by some who said they were neighbors of the site, none spoke against the location.

According to “The Sonoma Valley Story,” a local history written by former Index-Tribune publisher and editor Robert Lynch, the original swimming pool built at the high school was also the direct result of a community fund-raising campaign. Started as an idea put forth in an editorial by Lynch, the campaign was kicked off in 1956 and a small committee of community leaders raised funds for a feasibility study. Major contributors over the next 10 years were listed on the front page of the newspaper and more than 80 community organizations were approached to contribute to the project. By 1966 the goal of $50,000 had been reached. The bid for the pool construction came in at $79,000 and the school district put in the rest of the money. The pool, which has subsequently been removed, was dedicated on June 17, 1967.