The City Council on Monday, Jan. 24, unanimously approved an agreement with Gillis + Panichapan Architects, Inc., to design the Seal Beach Tennis and Pickleball Center improvement project. The contract would be for a maximum $234,900, according to the staff report prepared by Assistant Engineer Denice Bailey.
The council authorized City Manager Jill Ingram to execute the contract and to approve additional work requests up to $20,000, according to Bailey’s report.
This was originally a Consent Calendar item, but District Three Councilwoman Schelly Sustarsic pulled it for separate consideration.
Bailey, who was described as the project engineer, told the council that there would be public outreach during the design phase of the project.
She said there would be community websites and membership surveys as well as social media updates.
Sustarsic said she was happy to hear there would be an opportunity for community input.
Sustarsic asked about the lighting design for the center.
According to Bailey, there will be a lighting study as part of the design project.
Sustarsic said she had a resident who was unhappy with the LED lighting in Heather Park. She indicated she would like the community to have a chance to provide input on the lighting.
Sustarsic also expressed concern about lighting from the center spilling into the neighboring area.
Bailey said that would be addressed in the lighting study. Bailey also confirmed that there would be washing machines in the center.
Background
“On December 13, 2021, the City Council reviewed the Tennis Center Improvement Project conceptual design plans and approved Budget Amendment BA 22-06-03 in the net amount of $2,570,000 to proceed with Project design, and ultimately construction,” Bailey wrote.
The City Council discussed the Tennis and Pickleball Center renovation project in March 2021. The council approved the plans for the project, and the required budget amendment, last December.
The reason for the renovation project was spelled out in Recreation Manager Tim Kelsey’s report to the Jan. 26, 2022, Recreation and Parks Commission meeting. (The meeting was held after the Sun’s deadline for this week’s paper.) “As part of the 2011 Citywide Facility Condition Assessment Report, the Tennis Center Facility, built in the late 1970’s, was identified to be in poor condition,” Kelsey wrote.
“Since that time, facility conditions have severely worsened, leading to the closure of spa and showers for safety purposes, and reducing the utility of the facility,” Kelsey wrote.
“In an effort to address the most pressing issues, staff evaluated renovations for the locker room areas only, with the intent of ensuring public safety and bringing them in compliance with current building codes and ADA requirements. The cost for this effort alone was estimated at over $800,000,” Kelsey wrote.
“As an alternative, staff explored the possibility of renovating the existing clubhouse to meet both the functionality of the community gathering space, and to incorporate new locker room amenities,” Kelsey wrote.
“The clubhouse currently has severe water intrusion issues along with worsened facility conditions since the 2011 Assessment, but it remains a viable building. The required maintenance work for the clubhouse includes a seismic retrofit for the main structure; a remodeled kitchen to comply with health department requirements; retrofitted fire alarm system and sprinklers; and replacement of rotted wood and other water damage mitigation,” Kelsey wrote.
“In addition to the renovations described, the proposed design would increase the club house square footage, capture underutilized space, and create an improved event space for the community. With new locker rooms incorporated into the clubhouse building, the existing locker rooms could be demolished,” Kelsey wrote.
During the December 2021 presentation to the council, Assistant Engineer Bailey showed photos of a the severely dilapidated locker rooms. At the time, Bailey cited deferred maintenance as one of the reasons the building was in poor condition.
“Though renovation efforts will focus on the clubhouse, additional work will be done to upgrade the multi-purpose building so it can better accommodate small events and recreation classes. Court lighting will be updated with energy-efficient LED fixtures, and lighting will be added to currently unlit courts. This upgrade will allow for longer playing time and a safety upgrade for operations and maintenance,” Kelsey wrote.
According to Bailey’s report to the Jan. 24 council meeting, the design phase of the project is expected to take a year.
According to Kelsey’s report to the Recreation and Parks Commission, “The next step will be to complete final design for the facility to prepare the project for public bidding. Once bidding is complete, staff will bring an item before the City Council for award, then construction can begin at the site. A project schedule has yet to be developed, but staff estimates the entire project will take approximately 30 to 36 months to complete.”
