The existing pool is badly decayed and rehabilitation does not make economic sense. An enhanced pool complex in the Civic Center is historically appropriate. With the passage of UU and the new tennis courts already in place, there will be a comprehensive revitalization of the City center.
For Measure UU the City is correctly using a progressive tax structure with a General Obligation Bond rather than creating a costly and regressive tax structure of a Community Finance District bond (also known as a Mello-Roos District). Should UU fail we will likely see a much larger bond measure before us, as a Mello-Roos District, with a lengthy list of expensive capital improvements. For retired Piedmont seniors on fixed incomes, UU is a progressive bond measure based on ad valorem value and is the fairest taxation levy.
The pool is the largest user of natural gas in town and Green House Gas saving elements should be used with the new pool. Especially for seniors the previous day use fee was grossly excessive and a modest cost structure for seniors should be implemented.
While I did not use the Piedmont pool, I support the passage of Measure UU. On balance the passage of UU is best for Piedmont.
Conna, thank you.
There is also an opportunity with the passage of UU to comprehensively revitalize the City Center. The new School Theater will be going in directly across from 801 Magnolia and we can have a mini “Great White Way.” With a hopefully robust discussion of the use of the current Art Center coming up soon, I am optimistic its original mission can be restated and renewed.
The pool has a “stretch” design – 25 x 43 instead of the standard 25 x 30 – so lap swimmers can swim while the teams use the pool. That is the connection – the larger pool will use considerably more NG to accommodate lap swimming. The additional area given over to water also uses up space that could be used for solar panels. Mountainview is building an 25 x 30 all electric pool that relies only on solar. Council can insist but if there isn’t sufficient area for PV panels then the pool won’t be carbon neutral.
The longer you’ve lived in Piedmont, the less you’ll contribute to the pool under UU. Is that fair? Second and third generation families will contribute based on Prop 13 assessments (most below$1M) while recent and new families are assessed at $2.5M and above. That’s a big difference over 30 years. The bigger bond measure Rick refers to is coming with or without UU and by including a pool in that initiative a progressive parcel tax could be used to pay off bonds. Rick has a point about fixed income -if a smaller pool were built maybe a senior exemption could be provided. To the contrary, the pool size has been maximized to serve lap swimmers and will triple GHG emissions. Reject UU and bring back a sustainable design and equitable bond assessment.
Garrett, I’m sure you didn’t mean that swimmers swimming laps should hold their breath because otherwise they’d be exhaling CO2 which will increase GHG emissions. The connection might be that a bigger pool will need more heated water which may increase GHG if NG is used to heat the pool. I do hope that if the measure passes, that there be, to the extent possible, use of solar pool heaters and PV for its electricity needs. The Council should insist upon it. Staff has been sometimes oblivious to Green Infrastructure in putting forth its own projects. Initially green upgrades seem more expensive, but in a life-cycle analysis the costs go down.
Well said, Rick.