Opinion: Tuesday Meeting About Community Center

I attended the Tuesday April 29, 2014 meeting about the new Community Center (if that is what it will be called). There were present about 65 people, the vast majority of whom were enthusiastically supportive about the prospects of the new center. So enthusiastic in fact, that the audience rattled off 3-4 clipboard pages of ideas on what the new center should include. The ideas were as far ranging as an indoor swimming pool to shuffle board courts to a full service commercial kitchen and everything in between.

If you have small children or grandchildren or you are a senior citizen with nowhere to go except McDonald’s for coffee with a few friends a community center sounds like a great idea. But, there are some things to think about first.

The Council has already spent about $3 Million for the property alone. There was no talk about where that money is coming from. As a backdrop, keep in mind that the Borough has not as yet figured out the financial status of the community. A forensic audit of the Borough’s finances is still ongoing. Keep in mind too that the Borough was essentially broke three years ago, and there is still a water and sewer surcharge in place for another year at least.

Three Councilman and the Mayor were present, Messrs. Leitner, Wisniewski and Furmato (first time I have seen him, as there is no picture on the Borough website despite repeated requests for one) along with Schroeder. They all voted for the purchase, so I asked them what they envisioned would be built on the site. None would respond. I suggested they must have had something in mind, as the property size has limitations (only a certain size building can be built on the site). I also tried to pin them down on what they envisioned as a cost for a structure on the site. The response was that we don’t know…that is what the meeting was about!

NJ has the highest property taxes in the entire nation. There are many reasons for this dubious distinction, but among them is runaway spending on all sorts of things. Regretfully, some towns have champagne tastes and a beer pocketbook.

There appears to be absolutely no sentiment for a thorough review of the Borough’s land holdings. For example, is there land that the Borough owns that could be sold to fund this initiative (think skate-board rink on prime Rt. 88 commercial property)? Can there be a consolidation of Borough services and administration such that they could be housed in the new center? Is anyone, beside me, a little perplexed about the why this property? Most of the Borough’s residents live west of the canal, and yet the center will be east of the canal, which requires crossing the canal bridge…you know the one that the Council is considering making one way in one direction. Then too, there is the concern about off street parking…there is very little in that location. That will force people to park on Rue and Trenton Aves., which I am sure will make the home owners very happy. The property is located where there are two 90 degree bends in Arnold Ave. This will force the necessity of acceleration and deceleration lanes being built, and thus cutting back on usable property for the building. Getting in and out of the property by car is going to be very tricky, because of the already high traffic volume on the road…winter AND summer. Is anyone wondering why the Council did not consider property west of the canal using its eminent domain capability…somewhere more remote and open with easy access?

The parking issue will almost certainly force an on-site parking garage. Such an option is expensive and also presents another issue. The water table in that location will almost certainly prevent the construction of underground parking. So, the only other alternative is up. A four or five story building in that area will probably be opposed by nearby residents. Getting the “right” architectural look of a four/five story building is very difficult too.

Having substantial experience building public buildings, I am projecting a building cost of at least $5-8 million, and that’s if only half of the wish list were included. Wondering where that money will come from? So am I! The Council seems to think that outside funding may be available. If that were the case, why not share that with the audience? The topic came up at the very end of the meeting with no elaboration.

Now, let’s examine the on-going costs of a large structure like one that could house a pool, etc.

1. More recreation specialist staff will be required. The Council apparently thinks the current Recreation Center should be retained and used…so there will have to be staffing for two buildings.
2. Pools are very expensive to maintain, especially indoor ones. I wonder if any member of the Council questioned anyone at the Atlantic Club to determine the cost of operating an indoor pool. Among the things we know for sure is that the pool area has to be heated, towel service has to be offered, and showers and lockers are required. We also know that we will need two lifeguards, and a pool service to clean and maintain the pool. Liability insurance will also be a hefty cost item.
3. Gyms are very expensive to operate as well. Lockers and showers are a necessity along with towel service. Most gyms also employ a full time mechanic, because gym equipment breaks down with alarming frequency (ask any gym owner).
4. High traffic and frequently utilized buildings and equipment require a high level of maintenance. That means cleaning crews or full-time janitors. Without such attention to details the facility will quickly turn into an unattractive and unappealing dump. Then too, there is replacement costs…think floors, carpets, etc. There should be a dedicated reserve fund just for capital replacement.
5. There will be a necessity for the grounds and parking areas to be cleaned and maintained. That will require additional personnel or outside service contracts.

Again, having experience with on-going costs of high traffic centers, I am estimating that the year-to-year expenses, including personnel and service contracts, will be between $250,000-400,000. Where will such funding come from? Don’t know…not discussed!

I mentioned to the audience a “fund drive” to offset the cost of this initiative. The reception was luke-warm. There is a reason that a lot of sports stadiums have a business name on the front of the building…the primary reason is that the public can not afford a billion dollar stadium. That was also met with a luke-warm reception…perhaps one of the Council members envisions his/her name on the front entrance.

There are actually firms out there that can estimate with amazing accuracy the volunteer dollars a certain community will likely produce. Perhaps that should have been considered before the land was purchased. In any case, such firms will actually create a fund-raising plan and even execute it. Fund-raising is a science, not a seat-of-the-pants undertaking. I know, because I have used such firms, and even used what I learned in other fund-raising drives.

I don’t know what other attendees left the meeting with, but I was confused about what happens next. A steering committee concept was mentioned briefly. There certainly has to be one. A group has to take a hard look at the suggestions in the light of financial reality. The steering committee must have some people on it with experience in commercial building, project management and public use buildings of this nature. The steering committee should also have the authority to review Borough land holdings, hire an architect, hire a space planner and a traffic control expert. The steering committee should not be more than seven people. Finally, the steering committee will have to formulate a concrete approach to taking on this difficult and time-consuming task.

What do you think?