More Progress in Pool Parking Lot

Newly Paved Entryway – As construction in the Fremont High School front parking lot progresses, an improvement was made around the pool gate and entryway.  You probably have noticed the puddling that occurs in this area during the rainy season.  The swimmers and the city requested that the District regrade this area as part of the construction.   We are pleased that this was completed and that it was done very quickly and very neatly!  An improvement is always welcome.  See the photo, attached.

Other progress - As was evident through the meetings with the parking lot task force, there are no physical solutions to adding capacity to this lot, (except the removal of the small oak tree which will yield two to three spots.)  Thus, it seems as though adding permit parking time is one of the only mitigations we can enact.

In our October 20^th task force meeting, we requested that the two more hours of permit time be extended to the 35 pool parking places to enable both a smoother drop-off/pick-up flow for the swim team(s) and for more availability of spots for those parking for lessons, lap swim or some other pool uses.  The District requested some data to substantiate this request.  In their November 15^th board meeting, I requested only an extension on the permit time for 10 parking places, (feeling that this might be more palatable to the district), until 7PM.  This is about the same number of parking places that will disappear.

The SUNN swim team provided data showing hefty usage umbers and CSC is providing usage data to the City.  We are awaiting the result of these discussions between the City and the District.

Adult Ed – Many evening swimmers know that Adult Ed classes are scheduled mainly on Monday and Wednesday evenings.  We believe that many participants park in the front parking lot, and these are some of the times the lot fills to overcapacity between 5- 7 PM.  The Adult Ed Principal, Peggy Raun-Linde, has offered to try to move the Adult Ed office and some activity to the rear of the campus and to other small parking lots around campus.  These changes will be implemented in January.  We are very hopeful that this will indeed free up some space in the front lot.  There are other users of this busy lot, of course, but this group may have a significant impact on pool parking.

More updates to come.

Keep swimming!

Construction to Begin in FHS Parking Lot (Received from CSC today)

Sunnyvale Swim Complex News

Update November 8, 2011: Parking Lot Construction

Starting on Monday, November 14, the Fremont High School parking lot on Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road will be under construction as part of the final phase of campus facilities renovations of the entrance to the sports fields – track & field, football, etc.  The parking lot will be available during construction, however, the flow of traffic and location of some of the “pool reserved” parking spaces will be re-located. 

PLEASE SEE THE MAP BELOW DESCRIBING THE TRAFFIC FLOW CHANGES.  The north entrance to the parking lot will be closed.  The existing exit will become the temporary ENTRANCE ONLY.   The exit will be moved to the southern part of the parking lot as an EXIT ONLY. 

Construction is scheduled to continue until the end of April

http://www.calsportscenter.com/docs/110411RevFHSLot15Stalls.pdf

We apologize for the inconvenience. Feel free to contact a manager if you have any questions.

Ricky Silva
Courtney McKee
Aquatics Managers
Sunnyvale Swim Complex
408-732-2257

District Puts Task Force in Place to Review Parking Lot

If you are reading this it is no surprise to you to hear that the front parking lot at Fremont High School is crowded.  While access has always been challenging, the situation since construction began is more so.  We’ve all experienced the problem of finding a space, getting in and out of it, and managing to enter or exit the lot safely.  Many people have simply given up and gone home.

This issue came forward when I learned that the district was planning to build an entrance/venue for the football field.  This area would be utilized as a gathering place when games and band performances let out, and function as a barrier keeping students, who are being picked-up, out of the parking lot.  Since the fields and snack shack have just been newly reconstructed, utilizing all available space, the only place to put this venue was on parking lot space.

The district’s plan was to move the pool spots over, but this puts us farther away from the firelane and we often get stuck in student drop off and pick off cues.  Additionally, it will reduce the parking lot by 12 spaces, which were desperately needed after 5PM when the signage for pool parking runs out.

In response to some of our concerns, the school district offered to hire civil engineering firm, Underwood and Rosenblum, to take us through a relook at the parking lot and what could be done.  The purpose of the task force took on two goals:  a) improve student safety and b) reinstate/improve access for pool users.  How do we know if we have succeeded?  Pool users desired better flow (especially since the new construction will put almost all parking places on the other side of the firelane) and more capacity, especially after 5PM.

The City of Sunnyvale Recreation Department and about 16 other stakeholders attended. Unfortunately, the engineers did not come up with any viable ideas.  The conclusions supported the following changes which will help a little:

a) change south exit to be exit only, right turn only, and place barriers up to prevent left hand turners.  It will help with flow.
b) they will add a walkway from the VTA bus us to the school, taking out 6 more spots, on a trial basis, (supporting student safety).
c) they will see if they can relocate the VTA stop to Fremont Ave. 
d) they will take out the 3rd small oak tree and move a memorial to widen that stretch.
e) they will add a bike rack.
f) they will provide information about parking in the back lot.

(Construction on buildings on Fremont Ave.  to be able to consider putting a drop-off lane along Fremont Avenue will not happen for 5 years.)

So, as it stands, the construction for the football venue will begin in 4 weeks.  We were told that the parking lot will have a more limited flow and more limited access during construction.

There are many more details and there is a lot more background, but that’s about it in a nutshell.

Key Supporters!

A major Sunnyvale City Council election is upon us.  On November 8^th we will fill three seats with people eager to represent the citizens regarding safety, roads, the parks, the library and recreation, and that includes the Fremont Pool.  Two front runners are two council members who served previously DURING THE TIME THE POOL WAS ESTABLISHED AT FREMONT HIGH SCHOOL.  Jack Walker served from 1995-2003 and Fred Fowler served from 1997-2005.  

As new people join the council, they often have minimal recollection of the pool campaign or the expectations that we had.  Thus, the council’s memory of this project fades.  It is heartening that two very effective citizen representatives have a chance to be on the council again.  Please join me in supporting Fred and Jack for election to the City Council once again.

Please find below their statements of their support for the pool.

For more on their record see:

www.electfred.org and www.electjackwalker.com

October 3rd, 2011

Fred Fowler for City Council, 2011
1111 W. El Camino #109-226
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
FPPC: 1335055
http://www.ElectFred.org

Dear friends,
I am very proud to have been a firm supporter of the Fremont Pool from the very beginning of the project. I am also glad that I was able to play a small role in making that particular dream a reality.  Much more credit, though, should go to Holly Lofgren and the other Friends of the Fremont Pool!  Holly and the FFP worked tirelessly to raise money and raise awareness of the importance of swimming as a healthy physical activity. It is because of their efforts that the pool exists today. The entire community owes them a debt of gratitude for bringing this valuable resource into being.

Phyllis and I were happy to be the 7th name on the original list of contributors to the pool project, and I still have my blue “FFP” button. We also have a brick in the walkway leading to the pool. It says “Make a Splash!” (I guess that is what I'm trying to do with my current run for seat 7 on the Sunnyvale City Council.)

Do you realize that next year will be the 10th anniversary of the opening of the pool? Just think of the thousands and thousands of people who have been able to share the joy of swimming because of it.  The Friends of the Fremont Pool have a great deal to be proud of. The FFP will always have a friend in me.

Please accept my best regards,
--Fred Fowler

------------------------------------------------------------

Jack Walker
908 Elizabeth Way
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408)733-2272
Svalecouncil@yahoo.com

September 30, 2011



In November, I will be seeking re-election to the Sunnyvale City Council. As some may remember, I served previously on the City Council from 1995 to 2003. During that time I was very pleased to have been able to assist Holly Lofgren and the Friends of Fremont Pool in the establishment of the 50-meter Fremont Pool. From my perspective, it constituted an ideal example of a public-private partnership where private citizens directly took action to improve the City of Sunnyvale.

If elected in November, I will be keenly interested in ensuring that the Fremont Pool continues to provide the service to the community that the original supporters and the City envisioned. We will need to address ongoing operational issues that have arisen without forgetting that the pool was built with a spirit of cooperation and we need to preserve that spirit. These are difficult financial times and the City needs to review carefully the balance between the costs of services against the benefit to the community. That balance is sometimes overlooked in the effort to deliver a satisfactory bottom line.

I’m asking for your vote and financial support for the upcoming election but also, if elected, your assistance in working with the community to ensure that the City continues its long tradition of providing the diverse services that have made Sunnyvale widely recognized as a great place to live.

Thank You.

Jack Walker
Candidate for Sunnyvale City Council Seat #6
www.electjackwalker.com

What a Value!

1^st comment: Hello and welcome to the Friends of Fremont Pool’s first blog.  It’s good to be back with my finger of the pulse of the Fremont Pool.  I have heard from all the constituent groups and people seem pretty satisfied.  If you want to find a lot of happy people, visit the pool on a warm summer day with a slight breeze or pretty much any day lately. Ahh. 

Now for the featured story….’What a Value!’

What a value!

How do we define value?  What’s worth its salt in our community?  It’s sometimes hardest to define what we value because it is so dear to us.  Silver, gold, and precious gems are valuable because we can exchange them for currency, but don’t they also give us pleasure?  Jobs give us a paycheck, but don’t they also provide us with a chance to use our skills and a setting to interact with others?  Recreation tones our bodies and helps with weight control, but doesn’t it also promote a sense of well-being and provide a chance for socialization? 

I would like to think that satisfaction is all we need to measure to determine how happy we are with the aquatic services in the city, but that is of course not realistic.  You have to look deeper. 

Diversity of programs.  The Fremont Pool has all the basic programs that we desired when it was just a dream in 1999, and so much more.  Of course, there is lap swimming, masters swimming, swim team (with a focus on U.S. swim teams, but also room for recreational teams, too), swim lessons and open swimming (7 days a week in the summer).  The pool also has a robust water exercise program, youth water polo, precompetitive swimming, men’s and women’s water polo, summer swim camps, lifeguard training/CPR and an exciting new youth diving program.  Check it out!

Value.  So, how do we measure success with numbers and not just smiles?  In a recent (Oct 2010) city report, the Fremont Pool had the lowest cost per participant hour of any of the city’s swimming pools.  While some were as high as $30.56, the median was about $5 and the Fremont Pool was $1.12.  That’s right just $1.12!  This means that it costs the city only $1.12 for every person who uses the pool (participant hour).  This is largely because of its high popularity.

In short, the Fremont Pool represents the best value to the public of any of the city’s aquatic venues!  In an era where it seems everyone is looking for anything good to talk about, we’ve got it.  And, some people thought the pool would not be well-used!

Keep Swimming!

 – Holly Lofgren, Chairperson, Friends of the Fremont Pool

Look for future blogs about:

The Fremont Pool endowment           Pics and flix                What! PG&E overbilled us!

Can you help me get out of the parking lot?!

The History.  Friends of the Fremont Pool was formed in 1999 when the City of Sunnyvale had an opportunity to partner with the Fremont Union High School District to build a 50-meter swimming pool at Fremont High School.  Our group advocated for the pool and raised a substantial endowment for the city of Sunnyvale to reduce future operating subsidies.  As you are aware, this program was successful, the pool was built, a partnership was formed and we all enjoy the benefits today.

For the most part, the City has handled the community’s interests in this pool by attending and participating in quarterly meetings with high school district personnel and CSC, managing the contract with California Sports Center, paying the high school district, reviewing annual rate changes, and handling inquiries from the public.  Lately, there have been more inquiries from the public (me) than usual.

Additionally, the pool endowment, which we raised, is a substantial sum of money at $915,000.  We are also expecting to receive proceeds from a bequest in the near future.  With interest rates at a historic low, I am interested in investigating investment strategies for the endowment.  And, our Trustee, Mary Bradley has retired so a new Trustee must be officially installed.

My Objective.  Since it seems as though there has been a fairly brisk flow of questions, billing discrepancies, parking lot issues, etc, and since it seems as though this activity is increasing and because we should do some work in regards to the endowment, I decided to ask pool enthusiasts and interested parties to stay in contact with me.

Thus, Friends of the Fremont Pool is being reformed to have an engaged citizenship aware and communicating regarding some operational and financial issues for which we might want to provide organized input.

Finally, next June marks the tenth anniversary of the Fremont Pool.  This is quite a reason for celebration and there may be some good times to be had that we can look forward to.  Please stay tuned for more information on that front in the future.

Thank you for providing your contact information.  I will communicate via email for a while and then add a blog.  Here is what I am asking you to do: read the emails, ensure I have your current email address and ask others to immediately join by sending me their email addresses.   I will use my personal email address: halof@sbcglobal.net

Thank you very much.  See you at the pool.

Holly Lofgren

Chairperson, Friends of the Fremont Pool

(408) 737-0875

halof@sbcglobal.net