CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Local officials are exploring a potential collaboration to bring a range of new health and fitness facilities to Clearlake.
The partnership proposal between the city of Clearlake and Adventist Health Clear Lake was presented to the Clearlake City Council at its Thursday meeting. It begins at the 2:09:30 mark in the video above.
City Manager Greg Folsom told the council that both he and Councilwoman Joyce Overton had spoken with Adventist Health representative Rebecca Southwick about the idea, and wanted to present them to council members.
Southwick was on hand to share with the council her vision, which she said included a property owned by the city – the city’s senior and community center on Bowers Avenue.
The project would be paired with Adventist Health’s Live Well program, based at its health clinic on Lakeshore Drive. Southwick said it’s one of the busiest clinics in the nation, and expects to see 150,000 people this year.
She said the YMCA of Sonoma County is interested in expanding its footprint in Lake County, but needs to do a market feasibility study. At the same time, Southwick said she doesn’t do a fundraising campaign until she conducts a donor feasibility study.
She said her vision for an expanded facility includes a large, indoor heated swimming pool – Olympic size, if possible – plus an indoor basketball court and other fitness amenities, an industrial kitchen and educational space.
The idea would have Adventist Health running its Live Well program while the YMCA would oversee the fitness and recreation portions, she said.
Southwick said she believes such a facility could bring the entire community together, and that it could draw people from other communities around the lake.
She said Lake County does have wealthy people. They don’t live, wear or drive their wealth, but they’re willing to support such causes.
Southwick said she wanted to know if the council is interested in having the senior and community center considered as a site for the project.
Folsom said he also wanted to know if the council was interested before doing any feasibility studies.
“The idea of this is overwhelmingly exciting for me,” said Councilman Phil Harris.
Harris said he grew up in Clearlake “economically challenged,” and didn’t learn to swim until he was 16. As such, he said that a pool would have a huge impact on local youth.
He agreed with Southwick that it could draw in people from other communities around the lake.
Harris said his concern was that the community center location had a limitation on parking, and he said he wanted to see an architectural drawing of how the expanded center might look. But he added that he would be in support of the project “one million percent” if all of the parts came together.
Vice Mayor Bruno Sabatier said he hoped Adventist Health also would look at other city-owned properties, such as a 29-acre location on Highway 53.
Councilman Nick Bennett said he drives his daughter to the Middletown pool, which is open during the summer.
He agreed with Harris that the project would be a wonderful thing for Clearlake.
Southwick said Adventist Health wants to do a survey of 600 homes throughout Lake County about whether they would use the facility as part of studying the project proposal.
Harris said that the current times in Lake County are exciting, and even more so for Clearlake.
The council gave consensus to city staff to explore the matter further with Adventist Health.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
City of Clearlake, Adventist Health explore community and fitness center proposal
- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On