By Sam Richards

Staff writer

Thursday, November 20 (2:00 p.m.): In what was described as a “good first step,” the RWC Planning Committee addressed questions and set priorities for the RWC 2026 capital budget at its meeting last week.

Committee members did some early minor reprioritizing of planned projects, and went over proposed new capital projects, machinery and equipment budget requests and items transferred earlier from the RWC operating fund to its capital fund.

Among the new capital project requests were the creation of a Dollar Clubhouse Master Plan for renovations and maintenance ($125,000); security fencing and camera at the top of Stanley Dollar Drive; a key secondary Rossmoor access/egress point ($40,000); and resurfacing on courts 7 and 8 at the Buckeye tennis complex ($30,000). If approved by the RWC Board, during a vote expected in February, those projects would become part of the overall RWC capital budget that includes several “carryover” projects from 2025.

Proposals for two other new capital projects, a server for security camera video storage and an IT server upgrade, will be tweaked and brought back to the Planning Committee at its next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 11. And one more such project, a plan for restoring better access to electricity at the Dollar Park area, will now be included in the Dollar Clubhouse Master Plan.

The entire preliminary list of capital projects can be seen at https://tinyurl.com/yspmt7m2   The capital budget is funded primarily by money brought in by the Membership Transfer Fee, paid by new owners moving into Rossmoor.

Among the larger existing capital projects that will receive some funding in 2026 are the pickleball structure, expected to be completed in mid-2026 ($1 million expenditure); RWC’s ongoing road repaving program ($1 million); replacing two bridges over Tice Creek on Rossmoor’s golf courses ($600,000); efforts to relocate RWC Administrative offices from Gateway to an as-yet-undetermined new home ($100,000); initiatives connected to the chosen operator of Rossmoor’s new food/catering partnership ($250,000); golf course water-conservation efforts, including removal on nonessential grass ($150,000); and golf course lake liner replacement ($48,250).

That total proposed 2026 RWC capital budget stood at $5,578,190, but that could change before the RWC Board approves that budget, expected to happen in February.

Emily Van Vleet, president of the Rossmoor Tennis Club, thanked the Planning Committee and other RWC leaders Thursday for making $30,000 for tennis court restoration part of the 2026 budget. In October, club members came to the Planning Committee asking for $250,000 for a more thorough rebuilding of courts 7 and 8. But Van Vleet said the club is grateful for the $30,000 set aside for a “resurfacing” of those two courts.

Committee Chair Dwight Walker said Thursday’s budget discussion was “a good first step” in eventual passage of a 2026 capital budget.

Proposed CAC mural project

Also on Thursday, the Planning Commission got its first look at a proposed Rossmoor Ceramic Arts Club mosaic mural project, which would be behind the current club studios at Gateway Complex adjacent to the totem pole art pieces (another CAC project) installed in 2009. The Planning Committee endorsed that location Thursday; the RWC Board will have to approve the project, after which point RWC staff will work with the CAC to finalize the mural’s exact location and landscaping.

After that, a final plan will come to the Planning Committee for its review. RWC Landscape Maintenance will work with CAC on the needed landscaping, Community Services Director Ann Mottola said, and Facility Maintenance will help set up the mural’s framework.

The mural, as currently envisioned, would consist of two 10-foot-by-7-foot panels, mounted to steel framework. Linda Mariano, a CAC vice president, told the Planning Committee that several Ceramics Art Club members have submitted ideas for the mural’s design, which figures to be a combination of images depicting Rossmoor’s flora and fauna, its history, and popular activities that current residents enjoy.

“We’ve done a bit of research about how successful murals are created, and they start with input from the people who are going to create it,” Mariano told the committee.

The CAC also has enlisted the help of artists John Toki, Tom Franco and Amanda D. Larson with the mural project; the latter collaborated on a similar mural project at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek.