CLEARLAKE OAKS — Reconstruction is in its infancy for the Live Oak Senior Center in Clearlake Oaks. The Lake County Redevelopment Agency Tuesday opted to buy space where a new building will be constructed, according to Eric Seely, the agency”s director.
Sitting as the board of directors for the Lake County Redevelopment Agency, the board of supervisors approved the $30,000 purchase of approximately 5,000 square feet of property from the United Methodist Church in Clearlake Oaks to be used for the reconstruction of the senior center. Supervisor Rob Brown was in dissent.
“I just want to get this straight ? the property is owned by the Methodist Church right now, and they want to sell it to us so they can still use it?” Brown asked Redevelopment Agency Deputy Director Eric Seely.
Seely said the new senior center will be built on the property that was purchased and on part of a neighboring lot, which the church had used for parking. According to Administrative Analyst Doug Willardson, an agreement to share the new senior center”s parking space with the church will come back for the board for approval at a later date.
“So the Methodist Church is the only one that”s actually realizing any financial benefit out of it, and they”re going to be able to continue using our parking as part of the agreement,” Brown said.
Seely said the senior center and the church would be using the parking lot at different times. He said because the church could not sell its only parking lot, the agreement made the property sale possible.
Senior center executives told the board previously the building was in poor shape, and didn”t have adequate space to accommodate area seniors. Willardson said the current building is approximately 3,000 square feet, and the new building will be between 4,000 and 5,000 square feet. The current building sits on an approximately 5,000-square-foot lot that will be leveled and used for parking, along with three adjoining lots.
Willardson estimated the reconstruction process will cost between $1.1 million and $1.2 million. The board of supervisors recently directed Willardson to apply for a competitive state grant of up to $700,000 for the project. There is currently no estimate of when construction on the new building will begin.
“It depends on if we get grant funding and how long it takes to hear back,” Willardson said.
The grant application is due in June, when architectural designs are expected to be complete. Willardson said the redevelopment agency hired the Chico architectural firm Thomson and Hendricks at the end of 2008.
Willardson said the redevelopment agency earmarked $300,000 for the senior center reconstruction, and can use program income for the project as well, which is money that businesses have paid back as part of the county”s business loan program.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636 ext. 37.
