The official Facebook page for the Mission Viejo Nadadores has put out a call for presence at tonight’s city council meeting, citing concerns that the overhaul of the aging Marguerite Aquatics Center could be delayed by the town’s mayor.
The 43-year old pool is under contract through 2034 to remain the home primarily of the Nadadores, and tonight’s City Council Meeting includes an agenda item to award the design contract.
The pool includes an 8-lane 50 meter pool and a 25-meter diving well with a full complement of diving apparatus. It was opened in 1972, which was actually 16 years prior to the formal incorporation of Mission Viejo.
Among the requests by the Nadadores is an estimated $1 million replacement of the diving tower, part of an overall $7.8 million renovation, which the team believes will increase its ability to host national-level, revenue-generating meets. Opponents believe that because the facilities aren’t open to the public, the price tag on the dive tower especially is too steep.
Mayor Cathy Schlicht last year opposed extending the team’s contract for another 20 years when it was up for renewal, and has told the OC Register that she wants the team to contribute to the costs.
Within the last hour, the Nadadores’ Facebook page posted the message below regarding concerns that Schlicht will call into question the bidding process, with the design contract expected to go to the Aquatic Design Group, an experienced firm who has been involved with thousands of projects including the setup of the pool for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials in Long Beach, California.
A request for comment from Mayor Schlicht about her intentions at the meeting, or any possible reasons for questioning the bidding process, or what a restart would mean for the project, was not immediately returned.
The Mission Viejo Nadadores, whose swimming program alone is home to 650 participants, is a USA Swimming silver medal club, and is consistently ranked by the USA Swimming Club Excellence Program as one of the top 50 in the United States.
The Nadadores are in need of your help this evening. There is a Mission Viejo City Council meeting this evening and agenda item (#29) is regarding awarding a design contract for the Marguerite Aquatics Complex to Aquatic Design Group. We have received word this morning that Mayor Schlicht plans to call into question the bid process and move to recall the vote to renovate the Aquatics Complex. If she is successful, that will mean that we will have to begin again with the process that started a year ago with another consultant coming in to identify the needs and having the City Council vote again on whether or not to accept those recommendations. This would significantly delay the renovation and increase costs. Therefore, we need all available adults to attend the Mission Viejo City Council meeting tonight. Children don’t need to attend. Our agenda item is later in the meeting, so you don’t need to be there until 7:00 p.m. Please wear Nadadores shirts or blue and/or yellow if at all possible.
Any improvements MUST include more parking! Anyone who attends meets there knows how bad parking is.
The swim team should substantially contribute to the cost of renovations. They should not rely on my tax dollars going to an aquatic center I am prohibited from using.
You aren’t prohibited from using the pool. Become a member, just like Montenoso, Sierra or the YMCA and you can swim.
Even with a membership the use the pools are very restricted. The aquatic center is for exclusive use of Nadadores. I have been a resident of MV for 12 years. My taxes have subsidized Nadadores but my son who plays water polo and his Mission Viejo team have no access to this city pool. The nearest city pool they can use for water polo matches other than High School pools is the Woolette aquatic center in the city of Irvine.