Monday, November 11, 2024, at 9:00am at the SunDial Auditorium is an important Exchange Meeting where members are given three minutes each to express their thoughts on items on the agenda that day.
SPECIAL SESSION
Immediately after the meeting the RCSC Board has called for a Special Session to discuss and consider a motion that is expected to be made to the Board to accept the TriArc professional recommendation to place the PAC (Performing Arts Center) at LakeView where the two Lawn Bowling greens are presently located.
Please read the following for background that I (Dave Clawson) can share and join us for both the Exchange meeting and the Special Session Monday November 11th at 11:00am.
I have been close to this project for a couple of years as the tennis club president and representing the Tennis Club AND non-tennis club Tennis interests generally as part of the SAC (Strategic Alternatives Committee) created by the RCSC Board. John Fast, as an RCSC Board member, Norm Dickson, as member of the Long-Range Planning Committee and Jeannette Dredge Jones, representing Tennis interests when I was absent, also participated.
Last summer (summer of 2023) the SAC met for two hours every Friday afternoon to talk through requirements and alternative uses for the Mountain View facility. Central to the Mountain View renovation was a decision to renovate the Auditorium to a state-of-the-art PAC OR build a New PAC building at Mountain View. There were some who were convinced that the Auditorium was too old and that the Auditorium should just be torn down. They also believed that IF it is to be torn down, then we should build the PAC at a more central location; Lakeview was discussed as the likely spot.
One of the key obstacles of keeping the PAC at Mountain View (whether updated or built new) was the present building requirements regarding parking, based on the square footage of the building. This obstacle was believed by some to be unsurmountable, but to my knowledge, no effort was made to explore solutions to the parking issue.
For your information, TriArc had two viable sites at Lakeview. One was where the Tennis Courts are and Mini-Golf and the other was their recommended site, where the two Lawn Bowling greens were. While their recommended site would potentially free up the tennis courts for much needed renovation; their plan could also build two new lawn bowling greens where the tennis courts are, to satisfy the legitimate need of Lawn Bowling.
Several key ideas rang true to me during this process:
John Fast said that moving the PAC to Lakeview would be “VERY complicated”.
Norm Dickson was articulate and passionate about Lakeview being the Jewel of Sun City, a very unique and beautiful amenity that we need to carefully plan, not just stick a PAC on the edge of it, especially when typically you go into a PAC to see a play or movie and NOT look at the beautiful lake and view.
One of the other members of the SAC committee suggested that Lakeview round building could be evaluated and renovated to take advantage of the Lake and its view AND that there could be entertainment and refreshments available on the rooftop of a renovated building.
CONCLUSION - The delay of the Mountain View Project and PAC has been a very sore spot for many years and at least two RCSC Boards have worked hard to identify viable options and get adequate input, review and approval to proceed.
The present RCSC Board is very anxious to move this PAC selection to approval. Kat Fimmel, and Karen McAdam, who were RCSC Board President and Vice-President through this process, are finishing their term on the RCSC Board as of December 31, 2024.
Kat Fimmel stepped down as president and Tom Foster was elected as RCSC President for the remainder of 2024. Karen McAdam apparently chose to remain as Vice-President. They are very anxious to see this motion adopted during their watch, as is natural.
However, I am concerned that the RCSC Board will push the motion through with minimal involvement by RCSC members and those involved in the SAC Committee.
I invite and urge all members of the tennis club to express their desire for tennis courts to remain in the southern part of Sun City. We are fortunate to have a beautiful tennis center at Bell, but I for one am in favor of keeping courts in at least one of the two centers where they are being challenged and neglected, Lakeview and Mountain View.
Thanks for reading.
Dave Clawson - President of Sun City Tennis Club 2024
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