By Mike Wood

Staff writer

Monday, October 21 (4:30 p.m.): As GRF leaders weigh options to replace the current crammed Mutual Operations Department structure, one thing seems apparent – a doover on the current site atop Rockview Drive is likely off the table.

That was the upshot from Thursday’s discussion among Planning Committee members of the three options presented to the committee.

While no votes were taken at Thursday’s meeting, there was a sense that having any hub at the current MOD site, either by renovating the current building or by building a new 23,000-square-foot building (another option on the table), is less appealing than utilizing the vacant, GRF-owned former medical center property near Rossmoor Shopping Center.

A new, larger MOD building would also house GRF administration, much like the medical center plan, and thereby free up space at Gateway for resident usage. However, its construction cost, pegged at $18.7 million, is the highest of the three options.

“I don’t think that MOD is an option either way, of just refurbishing what we have or tear down and rebuilding,” committee member Ted Bentley said. “All I see is extra congestion up there, and unless we can relocate or unless there’s a possibility of tearing down the building and relocating the upper parking lot out of the way of everything, we’re still going to be having the problems that we have.” Rossmoor General Manager Jeff Matheson also pointed out many of the of cons listed in an analysis of renovating the current site, which is the lowest- cost option at $12.6 million, before any offset from a sale of the medical center property.

“It really doesn’t address a lot of the issues with MOD in terms of interface with the residents and folks coming up there for business,” Matheson said. “It doesn’t alleviate any of the overcrowding. It does not add needed meeting or conference room spaces.”

While the medical center renovation would cost an estimated $16.6 million, there would be no building sale to offset costs. And what would be lost in a property sale would be collateral, especially vital during these tumultuous insurance times, committee member Dwight Walker said.

Having the medical center building as collateral is valuable, Walker said, because without it, Rossmoor would be vulnerable in the event of a financial emergency. “And that really puts us in jeopardy, especially since we don’t have full-on earthquake insurance, we don’t have full-value property insurance, and no insurance on landslides,” he said. “We need to have those funding sources available to us.”

During the meeting, representatives from ELS Architects discussed strategic options for a floor plan detailing where specific departments would best function. When the committee meets again on Nov. 14, it will be provided with a closer look into financial implications and specifics on which departments, or segments thereof, would be moved to a new site.

Other highlights from Thursday’s meeting:

• While Community Services Director Ann Mottola presented an overview of 2025 Capital Projects requests and process, committee members asked her to add two items: one related to food and beverages, given the food and beverage study now underway and that the lease with the current operator of Creekside Grill is due to expire at the end of 2025; and for a project to convert the grass on the lawn bowling greens to artificial turf, as costs of watering and maintaining the greens mount.

• The pickleball court project is proceeding well, Mottola noted during an overview of current Capital Budget programs. A fourth-round response was sent to the city of Walnut Creek on Oct. 1, a key step toward ultimate approval by the city’s Planning Commission. A pre-construction cost estimate is coming in November, with competitive bidding to proceed in December. Considering that the project is in the compliance process right now means that construction could very well start in March as planned, Mottola said. “We’re in good shape,” she said.

• After a community food and beverage survey in April generated just over 1,300 complete responses from residents, the process with Synergy Restaurant Consultants has continued to move along, Mottola said in an update. In recent months, there have been one-on-one interviews with GRF Board members, staff and residents, and small discussion groups with residents.

Work has started on a “Vision Brief” for draft form, with a town hall in the works for later this year. Synergy will present a written report first to the Project Team, then to the Planning Committee, and eventually to the GRF Board for final consideration.