A farewell party for the Albany Pool
After serving the community for 58 years, the Albany Pool is closing its doors on December 21, Sunday to await demolition and future construction of a new pool facility.To commemorate the occasion, the AHS Swim Club and Swim Team are throwing a pool party. All members of the community are invited to join the Cougar for a final dip in the pool– have some good fun, great food, show appreciation, and say a bittersweet farewell: Sunday, Dec. 21, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM.
11:00 am – 3:00 pm BBQ lunch to benefit the AHS Swim Club/Team;
12:00 am – 4:00 pm Pool will be open for a final swim – NO ADMISSION FEE (Donations toward the new pool will be gratefully accepted)
Activities throughout the day include a musical performance as well as martial arts by the Golden Lions at 12:30 p.m.
For more information, contact: Stephen Dunkle, Albany Pool Director & AHS Swim Coach , 510-559-6640
stephen.dunkle@albany.k12.ca.us
Oh oh! The school board is going to spend money! The last I heard was they were going to spend more money on less pool and classrooms. Has that been fixed before the pool is closed?
Linjun, could you please get an answer to that question?
In Peace,
Andy Austin
Hello all,
To clarify the schedule for the ONE LAST SWIM celebration this SUNDAY, 12/21:
Last Recreational Swim 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Last Lap Swim 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
As noted, FREE to the Public.
Andrew, I’m confused about your concern regarding spending more money for less pool/classrooms. The voter approved bond provides $10M for the project. We can’t spend more for less. What needs to to get fixed?
Stephen Dunkle
Stephen,
Wow did you know what is planned? They are not building all that is on the bond that was voted for. Why because the claim is the cost went through the roof for the pools. Stephen, you seem only concerned about the pools I’m however concerned about all other parts of the project.
Linjun, could you please get the plans and cost estimates done before the $10 million bond was voted on? These papers will show what is the true cost of all the structures so that we can find where the cost is out of control.
Stephen, do not worry you will get your pool we just want every else as well.
Stephen, the original estimate is about $225 per square foot to replace the pool with two covered pools. My guess from the small amount of information on the new bids is about $700 per square foot. (That is a guess.) This is what is bad about the new bid.
In Peace,
Andy
Apparently there is a bond oversight committee that is supposed to inform the public. However, I have not received any information from them. They do not seem inclined to post their minutes.
Apparently the committee met in October and elected officers, but I do not know who was elected.
There was also supposed to be a progress update and a financial update. But there are no minutes and so it does not appear as though any of this is available to the public.
I am surprised that so little information is available for a $10 million bond issue.
http://ausd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1223961136973
Bond Oversight Committee
Bob Jacobs
Jesse Nawy
Peggy Thompson
Alan Riffer
Chris Donahue
David Clahan
Greg Lunkes
Hi Ira and Andrew,
Just looked at Ira’s link and apparently the plan is to build two pools: one inside and one outside. The oversight committee meets at least once a quarter. Usually a committee does not post the minutes of the previous meeting until approved at the next meeting. So, we likely will have to wait until they meet again to see what transpired at the earlier meeting. (Can’t blame Robert Lieber for this one!)
El Cerrito has a fabulous pool complex completed in 2004. Hopefully Albany’s will be as good if not better. El Cerrito raised the funds through a property tax increase (Albany is using a bond).
According to a 1999 posting, the EC pool refurbishment parcel tax was predicted to raise : “…$5.3 million net proceeds from a tax measure includes $4.9 million for the rebuild of the two existing pools, new locker rooms, new pump room and a small meeting room in the community center adjacent to the pools.”
That’s a lot of pool for only $5MM. Not sure what it finally cost.
Bill,
What is your last name? I lived in El Cerrito during the time they passed the bond measure and built their pool. I worked on the Harding PTA with an El Cerrito city council member and got updated all the time.
Bill, do you understand AUSD got a bond measure passed to build a pool, more classrooms and office building? The total was for $10 M or so. Now they are saying they can only build the two pools and one outdoors even though both were to be indoor pools!
Bill, do you understand that the price per square foot went from $225 to somewhere north of $700?
Bill, what Ira and I are trying to do is figure out why this happened. As a civil engineer graduate student at SFSU I can tell you that there does not seem to be any reason for the price jump.
Bill, please join Ira and myself and asking AUSD school board to produce all the documents needed so that we can figure out were the over charge is coming from. We can then fix it and get the price down and build everything.
In Peace,
Andy