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Teen 12-03-01 CUPERTINO Teen Commission Regular Meeting - Approved Minutes Monday, December 3, 2001, 5 p.m. Cupertino City HalL, Council Chambers 10300 Torre Avenue CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Noone called the regular meeting of the Teen Commission'to order at 5 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ROLL CALL Commissioners present: Patty Fang, Emily Liu, Jacki Colloton, Kevin Busch, Erin Gatley, Angelica Zen, Kenny Lin, Zoravko Kolev, Akshita Deora, Drew Golkar, and Maurice Noone, Chair Commissioners absent: Aimee Jin Thayer Staff present: Therese Ambrosi Smith, Director; Christine Hanel and Don McCarthy, Recreation Supervisors; Klm Frey, Recreation Coordinator Others present: Lauren Livingston, The Sports Management Group; Bill Savage, Fremont Union High School District COMMUNICATIONS NOT ON THE AGENDA 1. ORAL Therese gave a brief presentation on running a public meeting. Ed Hirschfield, 734 Stendhal Lane, 40-year resident, and represents the Cupertino Tennis Club, asked what the Commission's process is for making decisions. Does your opinion represent more than the commission? What is the commission aLI about? Teen Commission December 3, 2001 Page 2 of 9 Commissioner Noone answered that the purpose of the commission is to represent the views of the youth in Cupertino. We make recommendations to City Council about what the youth and teens want for Cupertino. · WRITTEN None UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None NEW 2. BUSINESS Sports Center Programming: Therese and Lauren reviewed project background, demographic research, expected facility use, and possible revenue generation for a rebuilt Sports Center. Therese reported that Parks and Recreation Commission's recommendation to City Council would be for Option C with the added recommendation that no tennis courts should be lost. There has also been some contact with the Northwest YMCA and the Fremont Union High School District regarding partnering for additional amenities. Bill Savage, Director of Facilities Modernization, Fremont Union High School District, reported that there are plans for developing facilities at all five high schools, but his main focus was to report on Cupertino High School, where a possible partnering project could happen. He stated that at Cupertino High School, a brand new 13,000 sq. ft. gymnasium, with no bleachers, and a field house is being built. The tennis courts will be completely redone; seven new courts and one ball wall will be built. The existing configuration of the pools will be replaced with a 25 yard by 30- meter pool. An asphalted area will be developed for possible inline skating or a skate hockey park. He described a partnership the school district has with the city of Sunnyvale for an Olympic-size pool, and community locker and shower facility at Fremont High School. Therese reported that in Sports Center programming Option C being recommended by the Parks and Recreation Commission, a field house- type building is in the list of amenities. The gym recommended would have 11,700 sq. ft. Bill Savage reported that his purpose was to show what the school district is doing in addition to what the city might be doing, and to try and find ways the two agencies could work together to meet some of the city's recreational needs. The school district believes they can help out with some of the teen recreation needs and are interested in partnering. He also reported that all the high schools are being renovated and all athletic and recreation spaces, as well as t,he pools, are being renovated. He stated that through a joint use agreement with the city of Sunnyvale, hours of operation for the public and the school was worked out. Teen Commission December 3, 2001 Page 3 of 9 Marc Auerbach, Planning Commissioner, advised the Commission to not be afraid to make a finding and recommendation that represents teens in the city. He stated that the Planning Commission is very interested in buildings that open up onto the street and interact with the street, rather than being closed in. The commission is also looking at buildings that are higher along Stevens Creek Blvd. Sherm Waldman, 25-year resident, asked if the square footage for the fitness area in Options A and B is gross or net in each of those cases? Lauren answered net. He asked that the vision statement from the Sports Facility Ad Hoc Committee be displayed. He stated that since the Teen Commission has the Council's ear, and the Parks and Recreation Commission doesn't seem to be listening to the vision statement that was developed, he wanted the Commission to bring their message to the City Council that the activities available at the Sports Centers should not be taken out of the new facility when it is developed. Ed Hirschfield stated that he does support teen activities. He is aware that the city purchased a portable skateboard facility. He is interested to find out how well this "facility" is used. He reported that there might be 500-600 teens that participate weekly in the tennis program. He wants to make sure that the youth tennis programs continue. Dana Gill, principal contractor for the Cupertino Sports Center, spoke in support of maintaining tennis program at the Sports Center. He is supportive of a gymnasium. He stated that peak hours of tennis programs are 3-8 p.m., Monday through Friday, and use 10-12 courts during that time. He outlined some of the tennis programs. They try to work with pass- holder needs. Stated that the racquetball courts do not generate much revenue; the tennis program uses the courts during rainy weather. It would not affect his business greatly if they did not have access to them. Therese added that the Commission could recommend to City Council alternates that could be added in the bid package. She also explained that all options offered could be built within budget and assumes no debt service. In Option C, the gym, as well as a parking structure, would be built once cash was made available. Option C is Option B; the difference is that some construction would be done ahead of time to add a gym later. VVhen asked if some tennis courts were taken away to add new activities, would the city make net income or net loss, or would it stay the same, Therese answered that there is a great deal of flexibility in the use of the tennis courts. Monta Vista High School removed their six tennis courts, but in a year's time, seven new courts will be built at that school. Between Cupertino High School and Monta Vista High School, there will be 14 Teen Comm~sslon December 3, 2001 Page 4 of 9 tennis courts at the end of their renovations, where they currently have 16. There are currently 48 public courts city wide, this would take us down to 46 public courts. The public actively uses these courts. A commissioner asked, "Does the tennis public that uses the Sports Center use all those courts, what are those other courts being used for?" Don McCarthy answered that there are two different types of courts in the community: 1. General recreation play courts primarily devoted to the free recreation experience and located at the high schools, De Anza College and city-owned courts 2. Membership oriented courts where other amenities are given via the Sports Center - reservation times, better maintained courts, locker rooms, shower facilities If tennis courts are taken out of the "free" sites, there would be less impact than if membership-type courts are removed. The only pay (membership) courts are at the Sports Center. When asked which courts are used for tournaments, Don answered that the Cupertino Sports Center courts are used for this purpose. Also, the high schools and De Anza College have tournaments and team-oriented play on their courts as well. Commission Questions and Comments: We shouldn't get rid of any of the tennis courts. Most people she knows plays tennis and removing tennis courts may have negative impact on the community. Everyone seems OK with what is in the Sports Center now. We could add a racquetball court. Recommends that we not add anything to the current programming. Would like to see a gym built sometime in the future; it is something that is needed in Cupertino. Does not agree with taking out tennis courts; but if it has to be done, then it needs to be done. Tennis courts are used a lot in the community. If we chose Option B, would there be any place for the tennis courts? Therese answered that Option B can be built in the existing footprint without any change at all. During construction, the old building would be kept operational; the new building would be built somewhere, temporarily displacing two tennis courts. Then the old building would be tom down and tennis courts built in its place. Option C is Option B designed for future Teen Commission December 3, 2001 Page 5 of 9 expansion. He believes that it is not possible to satisfy everyone, but it would be best to satisfy most of the people as much as possible. Option B would be good, but none of the options are the best way to go. If we did have to choose, I would choose Option B. Therese reminded the commission that they do not have to choose any of the options offered. If they have a better option, they should put it out for consideration too. If we decided not to go with a gym, what else could be added without destroying any tennis courts? Therese answered that if they thought there was something that would get youth into the Sports Center who are not going there now and are not tennis players, then staff would need time to evaluate it and come back to you at another meeting, this would be the time to express those thoughts. Staff was asked to look deeper into adding a climbing wall. Believes that the tennis program is successful and that it should not be negatively impacted. Even though some of the tennis courts might be taken away, there is some interest in the community that there should be more activities; and the more activities, the more opportunities. More activities also attract different kinds of people. It is important to serve the different kinds of people in the community, and not just the tennis players. Tennis courts are an important (recreational) part of our community, yet racquetball should also be taken into consideration as a fairness issue. A climbing wall seems like an interesting activity. This activity could help increase the revenue for the Sports Center. An indoor swimming pool should be considered. Recommends that at least two tennis courts be removed to allow more room for other recreational opportunities. It was noted that in the workshop, 17 new programs were proposed. Commissioner would like to see another plan that maybe takes away one or two courts so that a climbing wall, small lap pool, meeting room, child day care, or driving range can be added. Basketball is a popular sport that many teens participate and compete in, but there aren't as many places to play. It was recommended that two basketball courts should be added to the plan. Teen CommJsslon December 3, 2001 Page 6 of 9 The purpose of the Commission is to represent the teens, the youth, of Cupertino. Understands the tennis public's need for courts and the use of the courts is apparent. The question is what does the youth of Cupertino need or want? Currently, Cupertino does not offer much for the youth, and believes that the Sports Center is a great place to put programs for youth that aren't offered in other places. It was stated that the subtraction of one or two tennis courts would benefit Cupertino to make way for youth programming. Options needs to be weighed - is it better to have a couple of tennis courts taken away and get more teens involved, or is it better to keep the tennis courts there and have the tennis public be happy, and the youth not be represented in the city? Is there a plan to building a gym? Therese answered that there was no plan and the building cannot be designed until programming has been decided. If a partnership was developed for a gym at another site, the proposed space for the gym in Option C might be able to be designated for other new programming options. In the current process, is there a designated space set aside for the gym? Therese answered that very minimal site planning has been developed. The current building is 15,000 sq. ft. sitting on a 10,000 sq. ft. footprint. To build another 10,000 or 15,000 sq. ft. building in the same proportions, it would fit - everything in Option B will fit in the current footprint. Adding a gym would take out two courts. A game room or pool hall would be beneficial, or maybe meeting rooms. If two tennis courts were removed, would there be overcrowding on the existing tennis courts, or maybe you're planning on putting two more courts somewhere else? Therese said two tennis courts could be put in the city somewhere else because they are the kinds of things that neighbors don't object to. There is money earmarked to do that. Another thing that has been suggested that we light more of the courts at the Sports Center so that if we lost a couple of courts, we provide lighting to extend the hours of use. There are a number of ideas that have been kicked around. She asked for the Commission to express their ideas on what would make the facility attractive to teens. If a gym were put into the Sports Center, would there be a fee to use it? Therese stated that would be a po/icy call from the City Council. Current/y, that facility breaks even and the pro forma prepared based on league play, did make it break even. If the City Council had the money and wanted to provide free recreation opportunity, they could do that. As a reminder, Parks and Recreation is a non-essential service, which means that in time of budget cuts, that department would see cuts. Frequently, people pay Teen Commission December 3, 2001 Page 7 of 9 fees to offset operating costs to insulate against downtums in the economy. Many teens are interested in an indoor pool and which can be used in all weather conditions. To make the Sports Center more appealing to teens, a game room would be beneficial, or table tennis or a pool hall. To make the Sports Center more appealing, there should be a diversity of programming. If two tennis courts are removed and relocated to another site, this may be the way go. New programming such as a climbing wall, game room, indoor pool, ping-pong, or volleyball/badminton might be able to be added. Agree that a climbing wall would be nice and would like to see more information on that program. A hangout with a couch, TV, etc. for teens to meet and socialize should be considered. The Sports Center tennis programming already attracts a number of teens and it may not be necessary to add more programming to make it appealing, because it already is appealing to teens. The purpose should be to make it more appealing to a wide teen audience, not just teens who play tennis. It was reported that 500-600 teens are in the tennis program, but what we're trying to do is to make it more appealing to a wider variety of teens in Cupertino. The vision statement might have been written a little bit differently, but I don't know how legally binding the vision statement is. A vision implies that if everything were perfect, this would happen. If it were binding, then we would have to have at least one racquetball court. I am a firm believer in the greatest joy for the greatest number. There is so much more that can be done with the racquetball space that would be of use to many more people, so I guess it is up to the people who want the racquetball court, if they are really going to fight for that or if they are going to say "you know, we really could go with something else." I personally believe one court would be fine. About the teen center, there are two locations that might work, either at the Sports Center or the Library. These are the two places that teens frequent most often. At the library, there is not enough parking, and at the Sports Center, the unused restaurant space might work with ping-pong, computers, couch, TV, pool table, etc. Teens will spend $75 on a white T-shirt if it says Tommy on it, so a lot of money can be made off of Teen CommlssJon December 3, 2001 Page 8 of 9 teens. "You can milk us like cows." If you want to make money, get the teens to come. A covered pool is good, but don't know how much it would cost. The gym, I'm not too keen on. We are going to have two at Monta Vista and so if it were possible, I would work with the high schools and send the people there. I would take offtwo courts and put up lights to appease the tennis players. If building the new Sports Center in a different spot and putting tennis courts where the current building does not mean that tennis courts would be along the street? It would be some non- building space. Believes it would be better to have the building along the street because car exhaust may be a problem, plus it may be more attractive to have a building there instead of green-netted tennis courts. I prefer Option B because of the money we would get back. To summarize, take off two tennis courts, put in a teen center (with couches, ping-pong, game room, computers), no gym (use gyms from high schools), we have enough basketball courts, a climbing wall would be interesting if there was room and the budget would allow it. A covered pool would be great, but it is expensive, plus there are pools in other city locations - Jacuzzi would be nice. Christine reported on the various types of teen centers in the area - some informal and others more formal like a small community center. She stated they should keep that in mind when considering having a teen center at the Sports Center. Although there is not current money budgeted for an actual facility, there is potential to do partnering in the community. Other cities have delved into successful partnerships, i.e., city of Sunnyvale has a partnership with LeBoulanger. The commission was reminded that Council came to them to ask them what would get the youth of Cupertino involved in the Sports Center - what would make us want to go and what do we want to see there? If a hangout is what we want to see there and what we would use there, then maybe that is something we should recommend. It doesn't mean it's going to be added, but it is something that would be of great use to the youth. Action: ^ motion was made, seconded and unanimously carried to recommend to City Council to include in the new Sports Center a game room area, a climbing wall, and put in a teen area that has a lounge area with couches. To accomplish that, take out two tennis courts and light remaining tennis courts to make up the capacity. 3. Discuss Website Design Action: A motion was made, seconded and unanimously carried to move _ the topic of website design to the next meeting. Teen Commission December 3, 2001 Page 9 of 9 MISCELLANEOUS 4. One of the commissioners repot[ed on the positive comments they had received from the public on the City Council meeting of November 19. One commissioner stated that there would be further discussions amongst themselves when it is time to discuss the selection process for the next term. A copy of the tape was requested so that they could review the comments. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7 p.m. to the regular meeting of December 20, at 5 p.m., at Wilson Park. Respectfully submitted, Marie Preston, Administrative Secretary