By Robert Zirgulis
The tremendous public support for fixing the Culver City school Natatorium building is overwhelming. Especially when I show people graphic pictures of what has happened to the formerly world class swimming pool. I have personally gathered over 1,500 signatures including 200 online petition signers : http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fix-our-culver-city-school-natatorium-swimming-pool/signatures.html urging the School Board and the City Council to help “Fix Our School Pool.”
Unfortunately, there are some naysayers who are spreading rumors that the cost of fixing the pool would be too expensive. I have startling news for the naysayers. The School District currently has plans to demolish the Natatorium pool and put in a multi-purpose facility in its place for three times the cost of what it would take to “Fix our School Pool.” That's right, I said three times the cost to demolish the pool than to fix it! Does that make common sense?
I made an official request for documents from the School District about a detailed statement of (the construction company) Balfour Beatty's report on what was to be done with the Natatorium. (State law requires a response in 10 days, but I got the report in 18 days.) The report made no mention of fixing the Natatorium. It detailed the costs associated with “removal of existing pools (bottom, walls, and deck)” and “backfill and recompact pool areas.”
The total estimated costs to demolish the Natatorium pool and replace it with a “multi-purpose” facility is $10,773,744, according to the Culver City School District website.
Some people say that the multi-purpose facility will be used to accommodate 80 students from Culver Park High School vs. the 6,509 students in the District who would have use of the pool if it were fixed. The estimated cost of “Fixing Our School Pool” is $450,000 to reline the pool and rebore the pipes. In addition, it would cost about $2.5 million to refurbish the building and locker rooms.
We need to make common sense decisions on deciding the priorities of fixing our facilities. It is completely ludicrous to spend over $10 million to demolish our pool when it would only cost $3 million to fix and make it a world class pool again.
Mr. Zirgulis, a candidate for the School Board, may be contacted at zirgulisr@yahoo.com
