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Rec Center Request

By request I have created a category for the Rec Center since the topic will continue to be of interest.  I've been knocking on a few B'game doors the last few weekends and I can tell you it comes up way more often than a few of the Council challengers' pet topics.

Here is an older post on the topic for some context.  And here is the Master Plan for a po$$ible new center from the City's web site.  By the way, I believe there are openings on the Park & Rec Commission if you are interested in getting more involved.  The current commissioners are here.

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18 responses to “Rec Center Request”

  1. Mark

    This may be a dumb question, but is there a lot of stuff going on at the rec center? Seems to be under-utilized to me. More and more rec activities are being pushed to the schools, a few of which have recently been expanded. The only time I ever see people at the rec center is to sign up for sports or to talk to Parks and Rec or the city arborist. I understand that the rec center isn’t seismically safe in which case it should be replaced but if no one is using it, should be the same sized or smaller building which would also save some money.
    One thing I could see doing is building a pool/aquatic center. Maybe an indoor one. The only places to go in burlingame are the high school or the gym off of Rollins. If there were an indoor pool (year long swimming lessons) or indoor/outdoor pool combo, that place would be packed. Given the awesome weather here, there really shouldn’t be a huge need for indoor space that can’t already be filled at Schools after school. A Swimming rec area could actually be a revenue center for the city too, as there are a couple of privately run swim schools in San Bruno and San Mateo that are literally swimming in money.

  2. jennifer

    I think the pool at the aqua center is probably more than enough to deal with. Pools are very expensive to run and manage, and I’m actually not sure if they could ever bring revenue, considering the maintenance issues. Gyms take up a lot of physical space 🙁
    I do think our city has always done an amazing job of offering a variety of classes, both there on site, and elsewhere. But we really do lack community space(s) for various functions, lectures, senior lunches, etc.
    Arrangements for use of space in the public schools (and fields, too) has been an issue for quite some time, so I’m not sure we can depend on them.
    I was not a proponent of a new structure until fairly recently, when I was given a tour of the hodge podge of spaces currently cobbled together to merely function. The utilities alone– from various generations of add-ons, are precarious. Even still, It is truly amazing what continues to be offered on site, but it is probably time to work on a new project for the future.
    Definitely agree about the small footprint, and making the most of our lovely setting, however.

  3. leh

    Don’t know when you are at the Rec Center, but every time I’m there, every room is packed with classes of some kind. It is very well used and the classes offered are very popular. Classes are offered at the schools for after school programs or at BIS for the gum or theater.

  4. leh

    Meant GYM, not gum…

  5. Lorne

    What kind of price tag are we looking at, and how is it going to be financed (i.e., taxed)?

  6. WSBS

    I agree. It is often full and the city could also increase its take if it had more and better rooms to rent.

  7. Joanne

    There is not much in Burlingame for our Senior citizen population which will surely increase in the coming years.
    I know of a few that end up going to San Mateo. Burlingame should address all age groups. Just my two cents.

  8. jahzebel

    Seems to me that seniors have plenty of resources around here, not to mention all the senior housing either being planned or already existing. There are plenty of classes-excursions-talks that are offered for seniors. Kids stuff OTOH sometimes gets shorted, or cancelled. Rec Sports are sometimes well-organized, sometimes not, and the seasons are always too short (5 weeks for volleyball? Sad.) The rec center isn’t useful for kids except during a few weeks in the summer for camps, and the facilities for day camps are very scattershot and cramped. The gym was only used for girl scout activities once or twice a year. This city needs a proper municipal GYM as in workout facility so that people here do not have to drive to the Y in San Mateo (which is horrible, we quit after 2 years) or who cannot afford PrimeTime (expensive for what you get), or do not care for the singles/sketch scene at 24-hr Fitness. It would also be nice have some sort of performing arts center, you know, where the kids could have their band concerts without being _squished_ into the BIS auditorium and spilling out into the aisles and corridors for their shows. (BHS is a different school district and who can use their facilities anyway??) Well that’s my wish list. Good Luck.

  9. Holyroller

    I think everyone needs to look at the need/reason for the Park Dept yard to be in Washington Park.
    Lots of room by the Golf Center,and infrastructure is already in place.

  10. jennifer

    Really, Holy, why? I think being centrally located is a real plus–seems like most of their work is in the neighborhoods working on street trees-they can easily travel to all public parks and neighborhoods without having to go very far.

  11. Holyroller

    My reasoning are these:
    A public Park-especially in Burlingame should not have an industrial complex in it.
    The danger to BHS students driving in and out of the Park Dept, effecting the heavy equipment going in and out of the BHS students parking lot, should be enough to remove the Park Dept from the BHS property.
    The Traffic..
    Trains, Crosswalks, parents in a hurry, students in a hurry,cell phone, texting.
    This is a NO BRAINER, if ever there was one
    I suppose like the Trees on Easton Ave that were supposed to be removed years ago-Tom.
    Until someone dies from a fallen tree on Easton, a student gets run over by a Park Dept vehicle in the BHS Parking lot, or the horrible tragety of the little boy who got killed by Cal Train on Carolyn-a fence has been put up since. Burlingame to Broadway.
    The industrial complex in Washington Park is unnessary liability.

  12. jennifer

    Parks has been there for years (decades). There are speed bumps all over the driveway- and though the kids do walk around like space cadettes, I’ve yet to see a racer bob go through the parking lot with heavy equipment in a hazardous manner. Where I do agree with you are the speeders of all sorts on Carolan: by the general public, but also by the students.

  13. Holyroller

    The Park dept yard has been there a very long time.
    I especially would like to state that in the last 5-6 years Washington Park, and all the Parks(with the exception of the Bay Front Dog Run)are beautiful.
    It was not until Mr. Richmond, and Mr. Schartz left that there was a “very remarkable” change in the maintenance of the Parks, and restrooms.
    However, as you may be aware, the equipment is larger, in and out of the Student Parking lot 7 days a week.
    Why take a chance on a serious accident happening when there is a very reasonable, inexpensive alternative?
    The construction storage yard can then be away from the Park;the space can be utilized as it should be..
    I am not sure what that old building is doing in the Park either.
    I see tractors going in and out.
    Let the Park be a Park.

  14. Lorne

    Here is Burlingame’s shopping list, with estimated price tags, for unfunded infrastructure projects, including the new Community (Rec) Center. Interested to hear others thoughts. I’ve already stated my objection to using general obligation bonds (commensurate taxes based on properties’ assessed value), and will publicly oppose any such measure as I did with the original storm drain measure.
    http://burlingameca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=197&meta_id=16383

  15. Holyroller

    I did not see the resent request for @ $100,000.00 for more tree maintenance/removals in “Our Fair City.”
    Care to comment City Elders?
    Maybe a FOI request?

  16. Joe

    Any sort of maintenance is not a capital project–it comes out of operating expenses so it would not be included here. These are just CIP related.

  17. Holyroller

    Thank you Mr. Joe.
    I just assumed the Park Dept would be removing those trees on El Camino Real for the Cal Trans project.

  18. Lorne

    I didn’t realize one possibility is a new rec center combined with a new city hall building (i.e., civic center)- with an estimated price tag of $56 million, per this list on the city’s website:
    http://www.burlingame.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=913

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