Elk Grove to Rethink Location, Need of Proposed Aquatics Center-Amusement Park

March 23, 2014 | Although the public has not heard details of a $700,000 consultant's study, the Elk Grove City Council will di...


March 23, 2014 |

Although the public has not heard details of a $700,000 consultant's study, the Elk Grove City Council will discuss the possibility of moving the location of the proposed multi-million dollar aquatics center and water amusement park at their regular meeting this Wednesday night.

The proposed facility, to be located on the corner of Big Horn Boulevard and Civic Center Drive, could include a competition-sized pool and diving platforms, including an only-one-in-the-region 10-meter platform. Mayor Gary Davis has insisted the Olympic-sized pool and 10-meter platform could help the city recruit swimming and diving meets, including the U.S. Olympic swimming trials.

Typically these type of facilities lose money and require subsidies. At least three council members, Jim Cooper, Steve Detrick and Pat Hume, have expressed concerns regarding the costs and said they would support the facility if it was cost-neutral to taxpayers.

To allay those concerns, the city put out requests-for-proposal (RFP) for a water amusement park to be part of the facility. The city received one RFP and agreed to pay $700,000 to P3 International to study the feasibility of the center that would include a water amusement park to help subsidize the entire operation. 

Even though the results of the feasibility study have not been revealed, in an interview with Elk Grove News, Hume said the city may need to rethink the location of the proposed facilities. Subsequent to that, at the February 12 meeting Hume asked the aquatics center matter to be brought back to the council for further consideration.

It was also revealed that the Southgate Recreation and Parks District is building an aquatics center near Elk Grove's northern border. Although the Southgate project does not have the water amusement component contained in Elk Grove's proposal, it believes its family-friendly orientation and economical prices will draw numerous visitors from Elk Grove.  

Among the alternatives the city council will consider on Wednesday are whether to continue the feasibility study, should the proposed facilities be relocated, if the competition facility is separated from the amusement component, where should it be located, and if the entire proposal is scrapped, what shall be located on the civic center site.

The staff report suggests other alternatives for the site the city has considered in the past including a community center, a main city library or a children's museum. The alternatives did not include a Veterans Hall that was strongly advocated by area Veterans and former Elk Grove City Council Member Sophia Scherman.

Wednesday's meeting starts at 6 p.m.







Post a Comment Default Comments

19 comments

Monday Morning QB#1 said...

These issues were brought to the city council's attention by citizens BEFORE they voted in favor of the feasibility study near residential housing.

As usual, they ignored the public comments and are now regretting it(sound familiar??? Can anyone say Nigeria?).

Councilmembers; please listen to those still brave enough to come before you and offer suggestions. You know who I'm talking about, those Monday morning quarterbacks.

Anonymous said...

I'm thinking that you could place all these ideas up on a board and throw a dart at them and have better results than listening to the electeds (pickers). I want to see that $700,000 study we taxpayers paid for.

What the h--- is that SPA Community Open House Tuesday evening, 6 - 8 p.m. for....it's already on the City Council Agenda for the next night. Lotta good that does, total waste of this communities working stiffs.. LMAO..Per the city: "The name Meridian is being proposed for the Southeast Policy Area to reflect the promise the area holds for the City going forward in addressing the jobs-housing imbalance." Pretty close to MADEIRA "The Jewel of the City" and you know where that got us.

The taxpayers are getting beaten and manipulated by the developer owned council that are not on random walks. JMHO and I'm stickin' to it!



Vote With Feet said...

Time to gas up the U-Haul.

Lynn said...

Citizen Survey(on consent calender of this weeks council meeting)
1200 surveys were mailed out and 23% responded...a little less than 300 people. Of that only 19% of the respondents(57) have attended a local meeting and only 18% of the respondents(54) have watched a local meeting.
It does not seem like participating in our democracy is a priority of the majority of residents and I recognize this can be for a number of reasons....however as long as the participation is so low...how can the leaders be held accountable? Decisions will be based on whoever is courting them.

Connie said...

Lynn,

I agree there is a lot of apathy amongst our fellow citizens as the current survey suggests. But I fear that there are members of the Elk Grove City Council, past and present, who prefer it that way.

It appears to me as long as there is only a small vocal minority, the council and city staff think they can do as they please. But as we saw the Nigerian City Sister issue, that is not the case. It only took one voice to start a steamrolling of citizen outrage. It took one voice to put a stop to the council and their double dipping of reimbursement of expenses. And it goes on and on!

Elk Grove News broke the story on the Southgate Aquatics Center which gave Pat Hume the impetus to speak up, which is why we have this current agenda item. Hume did not know until EGN reported it out to him in an interview. And I am sure Pat didn't like egg on his face because his city manager didn't feel the need to tell him, or any of the other council members for that matter, about the other aquatics center.

And that is why the MMQs, and EGN, need to stay ever diligent!

Anonymous said...

This city needs a white elephant competition facility like it needs a $100 million soccer stadium.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could agree that our city council knew nothing of this Southgate Aquatics Center. My question would be...why didn't they? I'm what you might call a newbie and I knew about it. Am I to believe that we have electeds who know nothing of what is happening down the street a few miles when spending our monies?

Perhaps if we were not so focused on what Gov. Perry thinks and does instead of our own back yard we could accomplish a lot more. EG can't fix that...it's a State issue! We can't even fix our own little empire.

U-Haul said...

It goes like this...you (will) either make money or lose money from the council policies. Obviously those who make money will be big supporters and will be hauling the Mayor around on their shoulders at his State of the City speech, singing for he is a jolly good fella!

Those who will lose will be small business owners in the older city core in dying shopping centers, homeowners in neighborhoods that are rapidly turning into absentee landlord rentals, and eventually anyone who has an Elk Grove, CA mailing address as it transitions into South Sac.

Bainc said...

Kill the water amusement park as well as the 10 meter diving platform portion of this project. If a private company thinks a water amusement park would make money they will seek us out and build it here. Then the city can build a nice 50m pool and 3m diving boards/platforms (10m platforms are too expensive). Build that in the current civic center location or move it into SEPA. Send EGUSD a bill for 50% of the operating losses since they have 9 High Schools and zero pools in the District. Look around the Sacramento suburbs and at least half of the High Schools have pool facilities.

Anonymous said...

They spent $700,000 on a feasibility study?

Really???!!!

Anonymous said...

Here's a quick and easy way to save money, stop spending money on feasibility studies, market studies and design plans! Maybe listen to the citizenry for a change.

Anonymous said...

How true Bainc. It's time the EGUSD picked up their share of the costs since this will never be a money making venture. We have got to get the "Olympic & MLS" words out of our sentences and start thinking about something that fits our needs and wallets.

Anonymous said...

We have another RFP in the works now for an Animal Shelter study. Now I'm not saying that wouldn't be good, but do we never finish anything before we have something new started. We're going to have so many feasibility studies in binders at risk we'll have to build some kind of secure facility to house them in to protect our investments.

Our city leaders need to take a deep breath and stop playing politics with our hard earned tax dollars. Float back down to earth and take a drive around town...take a GOOD look at our vacant retail buildings and focus on that for a change. As Dr. Phil would say, “You can't change what you don't acknowledge.”

Davis' Stooge said...

Listen up you people, it is all so simple.

Lets get Steve Ly elected. After he extends the city's ETran bus routes for the schools, he will get the school district to cough-up some cash for the pools. Don't you people see it!

Anonymous said...

Olympic and MLS in Elk Grove?

Are you kidding? Who thought up those brilliant ideas?

Anonymous said...

I keep reading about the Aquatics Center, MLS Stadium, SEPA & more, but when driving around yesterday just in West EG, nearer Hwy. 99 what did I see?

1. Unfinished Strip Center-Vineyards of Madeira at Whitelock & Bruceville.
2. Half empty strip center on southwest corner of Whitelock & Bruceville.
3. Commercial pads for lease on EG Blvd. at Bruceville.
4. The Falls Event Center on EG Blvd. - unfinished and vacant. ???
5. Coming in a week or so...RFP for an Animal Shelter
6. AND THE BIGGIE...City property at EG Blvd. & Big Horn to Lotz Parkway where $1M+ has been spent by the city and there's not even a porta potty there!

Now we're speaking of another BIGGIE....SEPA to be named MERIDIAN. To bring jobs and make us a Destination City. I see nothing but rooftops going up and not a job market in sight. When is our city going to face facts and realize ....we have a problem and there is no one at the helm to fix it and make some major changes?

Connie said...

Okay folks, here is a good one. I asked for myself and others to receive a copy the feasibility study. After all, we are paying $700,000 for it. I got a response from the city this morning that the feasibility study is not complete and that it is only “Consultant’s Phase I work.” It won't be completed until late Spring.

So I asked a follow up question and that is: How do we know if what we are doing here is feasible if the feasibility study is not completed?

Am I missing something here or does this seem illogical?

Anonymous said...

It's all very simple Ms. Connie. We order another $700,000. feasibility study to evaluate a proposed change in location and then flip a coin for the chosen study. It's just taxpayer monies after all and most know nothing of how they are being spent and seem to care less. Business as usual............

Anonymous said...

Starting to sound like a clown show?

Follow Us

Popular

Archives

Elk Grove News Minute






All previous Elk Grove News Minutes, interviews, and Dan Schmitt's Ya' Gotta be Schmittin' Me podcasts are now available on iTunes

Elk Grove News Podcast




item