NEWS HOME

Rebuilding the Oak Hills Rec Center
By Micki Sparr, Publisher, Oak Hills Oracle

In 2014 board members of the Oak Hills Homeowners Association (OHHA) decided upgrades were long over-due to the facilities in the association’s commonly owned recreation center. Routine maintenance had been performed to the two buildings, swimming pool and wading pool over the years, but the facilities had not been substantially remodeled since they were built by the original developers in the mid-1960’s. Work began on the single restroom at grade level, serving both the gym and the administrative office, which received cosmetic improvements—new tile, paint and lighting fixtures—but due to space issues, it could not be improved to meet ADA requirements.

When the committee next turned their attention to the lower level showers and restrooms that served the swimming pool, work on cosmetic upgrades turned up some dismaying revelations. Cracks had developed in the ceilings and foundations; water seepage had damaged the concrete walls, and the rebar was rusting. The county required that the tunnel leading to the bathrooms be reinforced with extra beams for safety, which would require annual inspections. Still other problems surfaced during this phase. The electrical service, especially in the gym building, was inadequate, and the main electrical panel was obsolete and needed to be replaced. The board was faced with the decision of whether to make the needed repairs to the existing fifty-year-old facilities or undertake a much larger rebuilding project.

A series of meetings were held with homeowners in the spring and summer of 2014 to discuss the current condition of the facilities and ask the community for their opinions on what should be done. As the result of the initial meetings, a detailed survey was distributed to all homeowners asking them to rate the features they wanted as part of the community recreation and common facilities, and, perhaps most importantly, what they were willing to spend to get the features and amenities they wanted.

Once the OHHA board had determined there was community support for a major rebuilding and renovation project, they hired an architect to create a plan. A preliminary plan along with a projected price tag was offered to homeowners for a vote in May 2015. 82% of Oak Hills homeowners agreed to finance a $4.225 million major remodeling project that would demolish and replace the existing swimming pools, replace the small administrative building with a gym that would include a half court basketball court, add a new pool house with showers, changing areas, and restrooms, and remodel the old gym building to become a community meeting space with kitchen facilities. Oak Hills homeowners agreed to a special assessment of $6500 per lot to finance the ambitious project; the special assessment can be paid in a lump sum or monthly for up to fifteen years.

There have been some delays and design changes that have pushed the start date back, but demolition permits are nearly complete and demolition is expected to begin in May. The project is currently expected to be completed and ready to open by early 2017.

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