Walnut Creek residents can weigh in on two competing visions for the existing Clarke Swim Center site when the Park, Recreation and Open Space Commission meets Monday, Aug. 31.
The special meeting, set for 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1666 North Main St., also includes a request to approve 24 donor-naming proposals for the new $77 million Heather Farm Aquatic and Community Center, according to the meeting agenda.
Two options for Clarke's future
The city's Arts and Recreation Department is presenting two approaches for what happens after the 54-year-old Clarke Memorial Swim Center is demolished, expected summer 2028.
Option 1 would move quickly. A consultant would be hired by December 2026 to develop a Clarke Pool and Pool House Repurposing Master Plan, with community outreach in spring and summer 2027 and a finished plan by fall 2027. The City Council approved $250,000 in Measure O funds for this work through its FY26/FY27 capital budget.
Option 2 would wait. The city would first complete outreach for its Walnut Creek 2050 General Plan update, then use that work as the foundation for a broader Heather Farm Park Master Plan. Under that timeline, the park master plan would not be finished until fall 2028.
The broader plan could address traffic circulation, parking, pedestrian and bicycle connections, and long-term needs across the entire park, according to the staff report. Arts and Recreation Director Kris Farro is the staff contact for the item.
Naming approvals tied to $3M fundraising drive
The commission will also consider approving names for 24 amenities funded through the Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation's donor campaign, according to a separate staff report.
The largest gift is a $300,000 contribution from the Keller family, which would name the recreation pool "The John, Martha, and Lucas Keller Recreation Pool." Other naming proposals include the men's changing room ($100,000, the J.P. "Jim" King family), the women's changing room ($100,000, the Lin family), and a classroom ($50,000, the Harper family). Nineteen lane-captain designations at $10,000 each and two benches at $8,000 each round out the list.
Each name would be honored for 20 years. WCAF, a nonprofit incorporated in 2014 that includes representatives of three swim teams using Clarke pool, entered a fundraising agreement with the city in May 2022 with a goal of raising $3 million total, including at least $1 million from naming opportunities.
Project background
The new aquatic and community center sits on a 4.7-acre site at Heather Farm Park. It will include a 50-meter lap pool, a recreational pool, a bathhouse, and 25,000 to 27,000 square feet of community space, according to the city's project page. Construction is expected to finish by December 2027.
The city has been planning a replacement aquatic facility at Heather Farm Park since 2010. Voters approved Measure O, a ten-year, half-cent sales tax, in 2022 to fund the project.
How to participate
Commission Chair Sharon Pinkstaff will preside over Monday's meeting. Public comments are limited to agenda items only. Written comments must reach the city by 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, via email to [email protected] or by mail to City of Walnut Creek, Attn: City Clerk's Office, 1666 North Main St., Walnut Creek, CA 94596.
The meeting will be livestreamed on the city's website and YouTube channel, and broadcast on Comcast Channel 28, Rossmoor Channel 1082, Astound Channel 31, and AT&T U-verse Channel 99.
The commission's next regular meeting is Monday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m.
