|
| Boys and Girls Club looks anew at original site By Stefanie Hoffman [ stefanie@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 11:31 AM PDT Sometimes it is best to cut losses and move forward. At least that was the sentiment behind the decision to turn away from the past and look toward realistic possibilities for a future site for a new Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside building. Barring a better alternative, the 14-acre site on Sewer Plant Road could be the home of the new Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside - that is, once it is built. At a recent Half Moon Bay City Council meeting, the Boys and Girls Club board president reaffirmed that the Sewer Plant Road site the club has been leasing from the city for almost 10 years is the primary site for a new facility. The city owns 14 acres there. Two of those acres are leased by the Boys and Girls Club. The Club's reaffirmation of its lease was intended to rejuvenate and solidify the partnership between the Boys and Girls Club and the city, city officials said. "Now that Wavecrest is out, we think it's important for the Boys and Girls Club to let people know that they're still committed to building the club," said Mayor Marina Fraser. It was a return to the plans of the past. Originally the Boys and Girls Club considered the site for a new club building when it started leasing the property in 1997. The Boys and Girls Club later changed its primary site when it made an agreement with the city to build the new club at the proposed Wavecrest development. However, years of environmental litigation and negotiations between the developer and the city halted the project, and indefinitely postponed the club's construction. But now it's time to move forward, board members say. "At this time ... we aggressively want to work with the city, the school district and the community to make it happen again," said David Cline, Boys and Girls Club board president. "I'm happy to move on. In this case maybe move back, but very anxious to pursue what's been a dream for a lot of people for a long time." Extracting the club from previous contracts comes with another set of challenges. In the late 1990s, the club had more than $3 million in pledges and grants dedicated for a new building, but ultimately gave much of it back when the numerous environmental and contractual delays prevented the club from being built. However, with rising construction costs, a new club will likely be double that amount, Cline said. The club has about $1.2 million that is protected for a new building. Currently the Boys and Girls Club has two locations in Half Moon Bay - one near Cunha Intermediate School and one at Half Moon Bay High School. Board members said they want a comprehensive recreation area under one roof. The proposed 27,000 square foot club would include a complete gymnasium, study hall, play area, gymnastics area as well as a covered outdoor area and play fields. "Having all of that together, it's a really neat benefit for the entire community," said Cline. "It's like a one-stop shop for youth activities on the coast." The finished product is probably years down the road, however. The next steps will be to evaluate the property and assess the overall site. Once that is completed, it's a matter of re-establishing design criteria, rebidding the contract, re-evaluating infrastructure, and aggressively working on a new capital campaign. Realistically, Cline estimates that it could take three to four years before a new club is complete. And although for now the Sewer Plant Road site is the best possible choice, nothing is excluded, Cline said. "We are mindful of the various issues that existed a long time ago and exist now. There's no guarantee that anything will happen anywhere," said Cline. |