Getting to center of community

June Casagrande

A town hall meeting for Santa Ana Heights will try to get to the

heart of the question of how to create a community center that people

will use.

In advance of the Aug. 19 meeting, resident leaders are sending

out a questionnaire to their neighbors asking what amenities they

want in their new community center. Their answers could help

determine where the center is built.

A favored site for the center is at 2300 University Drive, where

the YMCA now stands. Noting they have other offers to buy the

property, YMCA executives have said they might sell the property to

the redevelopment agency on the condition that the YMCA gets the

contract to manage the new facility. The result would be a

refurbished center with extensive health and fitness services as well

as amenities such as meeting space. But city officials aren’t sure

whether they want to support something quite so akin to a health

club.

“We’re cautious about this concept because it may be similar to

something that’s provided by the private sector,” Assistant City

Manager Dave Kiff said.

But if residents would rather have a more traditional community

center with less of a health club feel, the YMCA property may not be

an option.

“The meeting is to find out what would the community like to see

in the way of programs, activities and opportunities at their

community center,” said Roger Summers, president of the committee

that represents residents to the area’s redevelopment agency. “We

want to know what would make them leave the comfort of their house

and get involved in community center.”

The survey that the committee is preparing to send out to

residents of east and west Santa Ana Heights lists a range of options

for the new center -- swimming, day care, educational services -- and

asks residents to list the ones they would be most likely to take

advantage of.

The community center is central to the goal of the redevelopment

agency, which has set aside residents’ tax money to make

improvements. The city might take over the redevelopment agency if

and when it annexes the western part of Santa Ana Heights. The east

side became part of Newport Beach last month.