Friends of the Fremont Pool

As you know, on March 16, 2020, the Fremont Pool was ordered closed due to the COVID-19 shelter in place order. Many of us have been waiting for the reopening of the pool. The County announced that outdoor public pools could re-open on June 4th and County outdoor public pools could re-open on June 12th. However, on June 10th, our 18-year pool operator, California Sports Center called it quits. They cited financial losses as well as a new time extension of the non-operational hiatus in order that further governmental reviews be conducted.

There has been no commitment on the part of City staff at this juncture as to a date or a plan for re-opening this important public resource.

We suggest you contact your city council members and your County Supervisors for some assistance.

Monday, January 16, 2017

Pool Fees and Closure Schedule

Pool users – This year the City of Sunnyvale has begun a public review format for the annual review and approval process for California Sports Center’s fees and closure schedule at the Fremont Pool. In the past, the fees and closure schedule were only approved by staff, without any public review. (Background: I suggested that perhaps the time has come for fees to come under public review. Almost all fees for recreational services in the city are approved by the City Council! Staff responded with a public review cycle.) Perhaps you saw the signs at the Fremont Pool office.

An issue that will arise, in coming years, complicating the cost of providing services, aquatic and otherwise, will be increases in minimum wages and other mandated health services. Addressing these economic phenomena will likely take on a more general policy approach. None the less, please be prepared to participate in the discussion regarding how these rates can be determined fairly at the Fremont Pool for all parties involved.

The suggested rate and closure dates are attached. The only comment the Friends of the Fremont Pool Steering Committee provided to the City of Sunnyvale staff was that the masters swim drop in rate of $15 seemed too high. The open swim drop in rate did go up $1 last year and is proposed to remain the same for FY17.

Please forward all comments to Nancy Grove, Community Services Manager, at ngrove@sunnyvale.ca.gov. Thank you!

Schedule - https://www.dropbox.com/s/pswdnhdpptklz0x/2017%20fee%20schedule%20-%20DRAFT%20for%20%20%20Public%20Comment.pdf?dl=0

Closure - https://www.dropbox.com/s/xbgpwy1okn67feq/2017-Proposed-CSC-pool-closures.pdf?dl=0

Fees - https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtt7a5kzhhuxes9/Aquatics-CS-Fees-Closures-Bulletin.pdf?dl=0

Monday, December 21, 2015

More Construction Updates

Pool Users,

This is an update regarding the construction on the Fremont Pool. I’m passing along what I have learned and encourage you to forward this blog to others who might be interested.

The pool has been re-plastered and is refilled with water. It is now curing. Other work that was performed included new tile and underwater light repairs. The lights were also all converted to LED which saves energy and maintenance costs. As you probably know, the pool will be reopened by January 11^th or as early as January 4^th.

Additionally, after the locker rooms were renovated last fall, the floor in the women’s shower area was redone for better ‘flow to drains’. Many people have asked me about puddling that now occurs between the shower room and the changing area (and also about some puddling under two benches). I leaned that it is impractical to attempt to fix these issues as any ‘cut’ into the solid surface epoxy floor could lead to leaks. I also learned that the bench posts are much more resistant to deterioration that the old posts. If you see any issues that need to be addressed, please let the front desk know – thanks! Finally, all seem to agree that the locker rooms are much better built than they were originally and should last much longer.

Coming up in 2016: The school district/city will be looking at deck repair; everyone has noticed that it is chipping in the high traffic walking areas. Also, the school district said they might look into shorter light poles that are less expensive to maintain and would provide better light.

I continue to be thankful to the City of Sunnyvale and the Fremont Union High School District for their support of this community asset. I am also thankful for a pool operator who really cares – California Sports Center – and for their staff who are woven into the friendship of the Fremont Pool community. And, I am grateful to all the pool users who participate in surveys and in meetings when we need to do our civic duty to support an asset we all love.

Have a happy holiday and prosperous new year!

Holly

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Construction Update

Pool Users,

Please find attached the Construction Update for the Fremont Pool shower renovation. It appears that the plan is about the same as we were informed earlier. The expected completion date – November 1^st – is also about what we expected. We have heard and seen the construction workers on site every day and Blach Construction has an excellent reputation.

Also as planned, we will need to vacate the student shower rooms in mid-August when school starts up again. The arrangements for changing area and toilets are going to be very close by, right next to the gym, but do be prepared for an older building.

The shower will be the most challenging. As the outdoor shower on the public shower building will not be ready in two weeks, we will be given the opportunity to ‘rinse off’ only until the outdoor shower is usable. Thus, some people will be inconvenienced. The construction company is targeting September 1st as a completion date for the exterior showers providing the construction schedule remains on target and it is approved by the State Architect. Please be patient and it will all be over soon.

We are looking forward to an excellent outcome and are nearly halfway there! Please be thankful to the high school district and remember that this pool is not on city property. The only swimming pool the City of Sunnyvale owns is the Washington Pool, the rest of our aquatic needs are met via joint-use agreements with the schools.

Thanks so much! It will all be over soon. See the links below for more information.

Holly

http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Portals/0/Sunnyvale/DCS/Recreation/Sports/FremontPoolConstructionMap.pdf

http://sunnyvale.ca.gov/Portals/0/Sunnyvale/DCS/Recreation/Sports/FremontPoolUpdateAug2014.pdf

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Impending Locker Room Renovation

This post is to provide an update on the ADA location as part of the locker room remodel and remind pool users of the impending renovation.

The renovation of the locker room will begin on Monday, June 9^th. The pool will be open during the renovation. Alternate shower and changing areas will be provided. The entrance to the pool patrons will use is just a few feet from the current entrance.

ALL OF US AT THE FRIENDS OF THE FREMONT POOL ARE DELIGHTED THAT THIS RENOVATION IS GOING FORWARD. WE EXPECT THAT EVERYONE WILL COOPERATE WITH THE INCONVENIENCE AS WE EQUALLY ANTICIPATE AN EXCELLENT OUTCOME.

In a meeting on May 28^th between FFP, the school district and the city staff, we came to the following conclusions regarding the ADA area. The needs of persons who use wheelchairs are quite different from the needs of people who use walkers. Due to the circumference of the wheelchair clearance and its effect on the regular benches the Northeast location of the ADA bench was a reasonable location. We also concluded that a person using a walker would probably use the lockers and benches closest to the entrance. School and city staff agreed to add a grab bar on a locker in this proximity after evaluating the behavior of person(s) who uses the locker room with a walker. School and city staff also agreed to seek out any other reasonable accommodations for persons who use walkers.

Thank you.

Holly

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

News and Updates – Pool Locker Room Renovation

Renovation

We are excited to announce a number of updates to the plans! The entire floor in both locker rooms will be replaced and re-sloped. The new floor will be a gritty, epoxy like substance which is currently in favor with pool locker rooms. We feel it will be less slippery and should stay cleaner.

We had a concern about hooks in lockers and their ability to hold adult clothing. We have confirmed that hooks are deep (so they should hold the clothing) and additional hooks will be installed in the lockers. We were unable to get any full sized-locker configurations, however.

It may be possible to move the ADA area closer to the entrance. We have sent a letter of support to the city/school to get it moved and make the locker room truly more accessible.

Some further explanations were provided by city staff for some of our questions:

Both the men’s and the women’s rooms have two floor drains and one clean out (The men’s drain system also connects to a cleanout.) The new shower drains will meet CA building code and were approved by the State architect, and they exceed the fixture requirement per drain size. Similar shower heads are currently in place at Washington Pool. A vertical 18” stainless steel grab bar will be installed on the wall adjacent to the shower. There will be three hair /hand dryers in each restroom. The benches will be of the same width and in the same locations. The lockers list is: 26 Z-lockers, 22 half lockers, 12 personal lockers and 36 cubbies. Lock hasps will receive standard padlocks and combination locks. There will be two above counter outlets at each vanity. The city will work with the district to explore adding exterior outlets. The work will be warrantied for 12-months for workmanship and the installed products of course each come with warranties. The new Zurn shower trench drain system and lockers are designed to last the lifespan of the building. The shower valve life expectancy is also based on normal wear and tear and generally a rebuild of these is necessary after 24-36 months. The faucets will need to be adjusted throughout the life of the faucet. In regards to the contracts, there are no incentives or recourse for either finishing early or for delay. The city will review the cost elements in the contract before the contracted is executed.

We thank the city’s Community Services Department and Public Works Department for their diligence on all of these items and look forward to their participation all the way through. We thank the Fremont Union High School District for providing the site for aquatics and for leading this renovation project.

And from CSC –‘Summer Construction’ Update

The pool house and locker rooms will be undergoing renovations this summer. All programs are expected to run as scheduled. For more information about the project, Please visit:

http://www.calsportscenter.com/docs/LettertoFremontPoolpatrons5.16.2014.pdf

For a map of expected access areas, please visit:

http://www.calsportscenter.com/docs/CSCDirectionalMap.pdf

Final Note - Construction begins June 9^th and we will be directed to use the school’s boys and girls locker rooms for the summer.

The city informed us that the boys and girls locker rooms will be cleaned out following the last day of school on June 5^th. After August 11^th, alternative locker rooms will be available on site.

We are very pleased with this progress! Everyone will work together cooperatively to ensure smooth transitions and relationships!!!

About Us

Announcement: The Fremont Pool re-opened for limited lap lane swim rentals on July 13, 2000, with Covid -19 restrictions and protocols. CSC gave up their contract; the City of Sunnyvale is running the pool.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fremont Pool was ordered closed on March 17, 2000. More news will follow.

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If you are returning to our organization, I would like to say, ‘Welcome Back’ and if this is your first time working with the group, ‘Welcome On Board’!

I would like to explain my objective in reforming the group and provide a little background for those who are unfamiliar with our project.

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 very much! See you at the pool!

Holly Lofgren

Chairperson, Friends of the Fremont Pool