Heather Farm Park Future To Be Discussed By City Council

WALNUT CREEK, CA — The Walnut Creek City Council on Tuesday will discuss funding options for the first phase of the city's Your Parks, Your Future plan, which would include replacing facilities at Heather Farm Park.

The council identified Civic Park Community Center and Assembly Hall, Heather Farm Park Community Center, Clarke Memorial Swim Center, and Shadelands Art Center, as infrastructure priorities for 2017 and 2018. All four were built in the late 1960s and 70s and were identified as nearing the end of their life spans.

Your Parks, Your Future was initiated in 2018 as a two-phase project. The first would focus on future arts and recreation programming at the four facilities. The second would focus on creating a 10-to-15-year master plan for Heather Farm Park and Civic Park, including design plans.

The council put the project on hold in June 2020, over the COVID-19 shutdowns, but reaffirmed its commitment to the plan in March as a priority for 2021-2022.

The plan for Heather Farm Park will be to combine the community center and bath house into a new building. The council will also consider funding options to build a new 50-meter pool "with the assumption that WCAF (Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation) would raise at least half the cost of the difference between a fully designed 25 meter and 50-meter pool, including bathhouse and decking," according to a staff report.

The report estimates a future Heather Farm Community Center to cost between $20.59 million and $25.17 million. A future Clarke Memorial Swim Center would cost $16.6 million to $26.42 million, depending on size of the lap pool and recreational pool.

The council would eventually look at funding options, including fees on new developments, grants, community donations, user fee increases, lease-revenue bonds, public-private partnerships, and general or special tax increases. The report recommends the city conduct community outreach on potential funding.

The council will hear a presentation and likely give direction to staff regarding next steps.
The Walnut Creek City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, at the council chamber at 1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek. Face masks are required. The meeting can also be seen in at www.zoom.us, webinar ID 829 0337 7920, passcode 167071.

Copyright © 2021 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.