More fretting about M.U.F.
Wednesday’s Mammoth Lakes Town Council meeting was largely bereft of talk about the successful passage of Measure Z—the public instead focused much of its attention on a proposed multi-use facility and its prospective location at Mammoth Creek Park West.
In a brief presentation, Public Works Director Grady Dutton proposed an opening date for Halloween 2017 at the proposed town-owned location. “The Task Force felt that between the multi-use facility and the community center it would really bring a lot of activity to the site and be something for the community for the long-term,” Dutton said.
“We believe we can get through the environmental process, and satisfy many of the questions of the neighbors. Certainly not all the neighbors, we can’t always satisfy everybody.”
About a half-dozen locals then spoke to voice concerns about the proposal. Jon Heaton, who said he had bought his home deliberately to be near Mammoth Creek Park, described his horror when he heard “a prison-like monstrosity was going to be plunked down on this wonderful open space that we and so many other families have enjoyed for generations…[a facility] replete with high walls, bright lights, parking, traffic and constant 24-hour clanking, humming, roaring noises of the compressors.”
He also questioned the draw that such a facility would have to potential visitors from Southern California. “Nobody’s going to sit in LA pondering where to go skiing …and pick Mammoth because there’s a new ice rink.”
The current skating rink is located on Mammoth School District property next to the Library. In July the School District had extended a lease offer to the Town of Mammoth Lakes, but Mammoth Lakes Recreation Executive Director Rich Boccia said they have “respectfully decided to look for another long-term permanent location.” Mammoth Town Council, Mammoth Lakes Recreation, Town Staff and the Recreation Commission collaborated on a Task Force that has been meeting since July 28. They also performed due diligence on the recommendation that a temporary shade structure be constructed over the current ice rink and used other resorts, particularly Breckenridge, CO, as a model for Mammoth’s proposed design.
Citizen Tom Bell called for the ice rink to remain on school property, claiming that it would not save the town money to build the facility at Mammoth Creek Park and would benefit the School District for the Town to continue to lease the land. Furthermore, he said, “when you read this report, it tells us that this [park] land is free…I’m not a tree hugger, but to not value natural resources as an asset of the city is a big mistake. Right now that property has value, and plowing down the trees and throwing up concrete is not going to increase the value.”
John Hellestoe echoed Bell’s sentiments about supporting the School District by continuing to lease the land.
T-shirt magnate and hockey advocate Jeff Posey then addressed Council. “Believe it or not I’m not here to argue with you guys in any shape or form,” said Posey, gesturing to the public and then to the Council. “I’m here for shade. I just want to play a lot more hockey, I want the kids to play a lot more hockey…what I’m thinking about is a shade structure.”
The Task Force had recommended that building a temporary shade structure above the existing ice rink, particularly if the proposed facility at Mammoth Creek Park is to move forward, would not be “the best use of funds, especially considering those funds could be used for the permanent facility,” they stated in their action sheet. The Task Force estimated a potential cost of $400,000-$500,000 for a retractable shade cloth supported by eighteen poles, which alone cost an estimated $15,000 each.
Posey, pen behind one ear and a sheaf of papers in his hand, rattled off a drastically different set of numbers he had compiled himself. “I know there is a way we can make this work. Let’s see what we can do,” he said. He proposed buying the poles from a contact he had made who would sell them to the Town at cost and enlisting local structural engineers to design the project pro bono. “My main focus is to get this thing down to around $100,000 and right now everything we need…it’s not Breckenridge, but it’ll work.”
The commentary from the public at Wednesday’s meeting was unanimously stacked against the proposed location at Mammoth Creek Park, with the possible exception of Posey, who presumably would support a permanent multi-use facility, but wants a shade structure built at the current rink for this year’s hockey season.
The Task Force’s findings will be presented once more to the Recreation Commission on Oct. 13 and a full recommendation is expected to be presented at the next Town Council meeting on Oct. 21.
