Sparse crowd hears senior center plans

Craftsman-style design of proposed center pleases some and irritates others. Council will hold hearing on the project next year.A presentation by community/senior center architects drew a tiny audience Saturday, and most in attendance were already familiar with the project.

The two-hour presentation in the City Council chambers was a missed opportunity for less knowledgeable residents to ask questions, voice concerns and contribute to project refinements. Preliminary plans for the interior and exterior of the centers were explained by the architects, who also answered questions from the audience.

“We are here to listen,” said architect Wendy Rogers. Rogers and fellow architect Charlie Williams represented LPA, the architectural firm that also designed the Laguna Beach High School renovations.

The presentation was essentially the same one made to neighbors of the project, proposed for the corner of Third and Mermaid streets.

“We were hoping to see some of the results of specific comments made by the neighbors before the project goes to the council,” said Ed Barbieri, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association and one of four neighbors who attended the presentation Saturday. “We would like to have another meeting before then.”

The council is not expected to hold a hearing before late January or early February, Community Services Director Pat Barry said.

Among the issues listed by Barbieri as concerns of the Loma Terrace property owners:

* Building height reduction at the Loma Terrace, Mermaid Street corner;

* Relocation of air conditioning units to minimize noise;

* Mitigation of smells from the garage and the kitchen and noise from the garage, dance studio and multipurpose room;

* Garage access for deliveries and refuse collection to keep the activities out of the sightlines from Loma Terrace homes;

* Prevention of Loma Terrace becoming an access road into the centers or an overflow parking lot.

The project has three divisions: the city’s community center, the senior center and shared uses, such as the entry and reception area. Underneath, 73 parking stalls are proposed, with a ground-level entry on the north end of the project.

A flat wall shields the main staircase, which was turned sideways to reduce the steepness level.

The Third Street façade is broken up to try to give what the architects called a cottage-like feel to the 228-foot wide building.

“It relates to the existing use,” Williams said.

Affordable housing cottages now on the parcels will be demolished if the project gets the green light from the council members, as is expected, since they approved the use of the city-owned property for the project.

For the most part, the seniors have concentrated on the interior, leaving the exterior to the architects, according to Barry.

“The architecture is pathetic,” resident Rik Lawrence said. “Why not reflect City Hall?”

Jeannette Heartwood complimented the architects on the project.

“We don’t need to go back to century-old architecture,” she said.

Senior Skipper Lynn was more concerned about the functions than the design, particularly access for the disabled and more feeble elderly visitors.