Upon the completion of two new residence halls and the arrival
of 2,000 more students on the Hill, the demand for recreational
facilities for dorm residents will increase and continue to do so
in upcoming years. But with each new facility added, the
surrounding Westwood community has a say in the way things
unfold.
This is the case with a new pool that may be built on a portion
of the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center tennis courts, a facility
that Westwood residents say they do not want disturbing their
neighborhood and UCLA officials say is needed to fulfill campus
recreational needs.
In order to help accommodate student’s needs, both on an
athletic and recreational level, UCLA Recreation, in conjunction
with the athletics department and Capital Programs ““ which
handles all UCLA developments ““ have engaged in a feasibility
study of adding an additional competition-size pool on campus in
the near future.
Currently, preliminary discussions on needs and potential
locations are in progress for the possible construction of this
50-meter pool, said Mick Deluca, director of UCLA Recreation.
Due to an agreement between UCLA and the Westwood Hills Property
Owners Association, which accounts for the neighbors between Sunset
Boulevard and the national cemetery and from Veteran Avenue to
Sepulveda Boulevard, there are restrictions on facilities that can
be built in certain areas.
That area includes Sycamore Park, and accordingly the
possibility of placing the pool in the area between the Saxon and
Hitch residential suites (another option), has been ruled out.
That leaves Sunset Recreation Center “one of the only
locations to seriously consider,” Deluca said.
The agreement basically keeps the university from building
something that can be a big disturbance, and, if anything is
planned, neighbors are always notified, said Diana Brueggemann,
executive director for UCLA Local Government and Community
Relations.
“We are very bent on always talking to (residents) when
anything is contemplated on that hillside,” she added,
referring to the area where the suites are located.
Brueggemann, who attends quarterly meetings with the neighbors,
emphasized that a 50-meter pool was never considered for this area
since any facilitates in those areas have to be of low usage, with
very little noise.
For this reason, the tennis courts located between Saxon and
Hitch suites are not lit, as lighting is restricted in this area
due to the close proximity of the homeowners.Â
From a homeowner’s standpoint, traffic, noise and
deterioration of air quality are major concerns but not as
troubling as the loss of trees around the university due to
construction purposes, said Alvin Milder, vice president of the
property association.
Other residents have similar concerns.
A resident of Westwood for over 40 years, Charles Magnuson said
a universal concern is trash left behind by construction
workers.
“I support a lot of things UCLA does, (but) there needs to
be a balance between what the neighborhood needs and the
school’s needs,” Magnuson said.
As the recreation center is the only serious location being
considered for the construction of this pool, students living in
dorms, specifically Sunset Village’s Courtside and Canyon
Point buildings, will be affected more than the homeowners.
Still, unlike the resident-disturbing construction that took
place at Sproul Hall earlier this year, the construction for a pool
of this nature would have less impact on students, said Jack
Gibbons, associate director of the Office of Residential Life.
“It wouldn’t be drilling and digging right in the
structure. It is next to it. Adding to that, the nearby dorm
buildings are air-conditioned, so students can close the
windows.
If the pool is to be built in the recreation center, it will
take the place of four of eight tennis courts, Deluca said, adding
that the courts would not be lost but be relocated.
Deluca said the activities that take place in the recreation
center will be affected the most during construction and would have
to be changed to other locations.
Deluca explained that a new pool is needed, as the current pools
cannot serve multiple activities simultaneously.
“This is complicated because there is no space on
campus. Current pools fall short of meeting our needs ““
both (from an) intercollegiate sports and recreation
standpoint,” he said.
From an aquatics standpoint, Deluca feels UCLA is falling behind
compared to other schools that have multiple 50-meter
pools.Â
Currently, UCLA Recreation manages five pools in several
locations throughout campus, including the recreation center and
the newly renovated Student Activities Center. Only one of
these pools is of competitive size.
“Even though we have water, it becomes single-use. We want
multi-use,” Deluca said.
Deluca said an example of the problem is that when the water
polo team occupies the pool, it is closed off to all other use.
From lap swimming to scuba diving programs, many of the aquatics
activities available on campus, including athletic needs of
students and athletes, run into the issue of overlapping when it
comes to facility use.
“Our job in recreation is making sure outdoor activities
have access and equal amenities ““ not place one over the
other,” Deluca said. With one additional 50-meter pool,
Deluca hopes for increased availability of the pools and less
overlapping.
Though the feasibility report and discussion for such a
large-sized pool are still very preliminary, the idea will only
become a reality if enough funding is provided by private gifts and
fundraising.
Deluca hopes this pool will be on campus in about five years and
anticipates detailed discussions in the next academic year.