A graphic representation of City College's new soccer field being built near Batmale Hall. The soccer team currently practices and plays on off-campus fields. ILLUSTRATION PHOTOGRAPHED BY ISAAC CRUMMEY / THE GUARDSMAN

By Nick Palm
STAFF WRITER

Construction of a new soccer field at Ocean campus, just east of Batmale Hall, has begun and should be completed by the end of the semester.

The project has been in the works since 2004 as part of the college’s Master Plan. The new Wellness Center was built after approval by the Board of Trustees on the previous site of City College’s soccer practice field.

According to Peter Goldstein, vice chancellor of finance and administration, the final plans for the new field were approved by the Board of Trustees during the last academic year. The total cost of the 110 by 70 yard field will be roughly $3 million.

Since the Wellness Center construction began, the Rams have played all home games at either Crocker Amazon Park or Boxer Field at Balboa Park. Most practices have been held at Crocker Amazon Park.

“We’re really happy that we’re going to have a home field on campus. It’s going to make things a lot easier for the players, coaches, and administrators; everyone involved,” said Gabriel Saucedo, head coach of the women’s soccer team.

“We did a lot of research in terms of the type of artificial surface,” Saucedo said. “We called a lot of colleges and universities to figure out which was the best way to go.”

The field will be comprised of the newest generation artificial turf, which is designed for durability. It will require less maintenance than grass and needs no irrigation system. The field itself will last much longer. It won’t warp or become wavy after heavy rains, and gophers will never be able to call it their home.

Saucedo added, “We made sure the dimensions of the field fulfill the minimum requirements of collegiate soccer regulations.”

During the field’s planning stages, the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association expressed concern on several issues the new field would create, such as added traffic, parking and noise.

Since then, the SNA has been included in all planning meetings for the new field. All concerns have been addressed during the meetings and the SNA and City College have since come to an agreement, according to Saucedo.

Although no exact date of completion has been announced, the soccer community is hopeful that the last games of the season can be played on the new field.

No bleachers or audience seating will be built at the new site, but games can be viewed from multiple locations, including the plaza at Batmale Hall, overlooking the football field. The side of the hill leading down from Batmale Hall will also be a prime spot to watch games.

In response to low attendance at City College soccer matches over the past few years, Saucedo added, “Now that we’re on campus, we’re hoping to get a way better turnout to our games.”

By Graham Henderson
Staff Writer

The future construction in the Balboa Reservoir is hinged on the approval of changes to the reservoir’s ownership between City College and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, according to City College administrators.

Negotiations over the ownership of the Balboa Reservoir, currently owned by City College and the SFPUC, are almost complete, according to Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Peter Goldstein.

If an agreement is reached, the City College board of trustees could vote to approve the deal on Nov. 20.

“The future of City College’s academic facilities are dependent on this land swap being finalized,” said Goldstein, one of the negotiators working on the deal. The negotiations have been going on for several years, Goldstein said.

The land swap is required for City College’s Master Plan to move forward because some of the buildings to be built are planned for land currently controlled by the SFPUC.

Currently, the reservoir is divided into two portions, the southern and smaller portion of the reservoir is owned by City College, with the SFPUC owning the northern portion, which is larger. The proposed swap will redivide the reservoir, dividing the reservoir in half but with the split running east and west, instead of north and south. The SFPUC’s western portion would again be larger, with City College owning the smaller eastern portion, running along Phelan Avenue.

Even though the proposal would give City College a smaller piece of land than the SFPUC, City College’s parcel is more valuable because it boarders on Phelan Avenue, Goldstein said. City College will continue to use the western portion of the lot for parking, renting the land from the SFPUC for a small, symbolic price, said James Blomquist, associate vice chancellor of facilities panning / management.

For the land swap to go forward, the board of trustees, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the SFPUC and the Mayor would each need to approve the plan according to the agenda for the Nov. 20 board of trustees meeting.

The board declared its intent on June 12 in a published notice of the proposal. A unanimous vote is required to approve the land exchange.

Joe Gilmartin, Superintendent for Proven Management, said that 95 percent of the dirt being used to fill in the reservoir is coming from an excavation site at Candlestick. The dirt will be sealed with a different material.

Currently the Balboa Reservoir is divided North to South but the completion of City College’s Master Plan is contingent on the land swap with the SFPUC. If approved, the land would be divided East to West. GRAPHIC COURTESY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

By Roxanne Bequio
Staff Writer

The contrast between recently constructed and older buildings on Ocean campus is prompting many of City College’s students to question when the older buildings will get a turn at renovation.

“City College is following the Master Plan and it doesn’t ignore the existing buildings. The plan first addresses the anticipated growth of the system and where the greatest needs are,” said James Blomquist, associate vice chancellor of facilities planning/management.

Some of these projects, including the improvement and expansion of the recently opened Mission campus, as well as the planning and construction of the new Chinatown/North Beach campus, were funded by the 2001 and 2005 Proposition A bond measures.

Although the City College board of trustees have not officially decided when the next phase of remodeling will occur, students can anticipate the early stages of more Ocean campus renovations with the completion of the next phase of construction which includes the new Joint Use Facility, scheduled to open in summer 2010, and the arrival of the next bond, to be issued in the next few years.

Classes held in older buildings like Cloud Hall, the Creative Arts Building and the 600-series bungalows would be moved into the Joint Use Facility, presenting City College with an opportunity to “remodel spaces and create better conditions within [older] buildings,” Blomquist said.

“The oldest buildings are those that need the most work, just because of their age,” Blomquist said. “Due to the Americans with Disabilities Act improvement project, many, if not all of the buildings on campus, will recieve remodeling in some of the bathrooms and a few classrooms to accommodate accessibility needs,” said Blomquist of the work financed by the 2005 Proposition A Bond funds.

Nursing major Selma Gardner said, “The bathrooms are always in poor condition. You know, you’ve got three sinks here, and maybe one paper towel holder working, or one stall. Especially in the science building the bathrooms are pretty funky.”

Within Blomquist’s department, concerns are shared over the condition of all the bathroom facilities. Water saving fixtures, similar to those in the new buildings, will be installed to conserve energy and natural resources when the college has enough money, said Blomquist.

At this time, restrooms on City College campuses will not be restored unless they conflict with the ADA and need remodeling to “adequately provide good service for disabled students,” said Blomquist. Remodeling required by the ADA will start this October and is expected to be completed by December 2009.

Non-compliant restrooms have not yet been identified, but will be upon evaluation. “If a room is completely non-compliant, a total renovation might be required,” said Blomquist.

An issue was raised toward the recently opened Community Health and Wellness Center regarding faucets and showers, which were not in working order. Blomquist said some valves were plugged up with debris and cleaned out by a plumber shortly after.

In any new building, there is a “breaking in period” when all the working parts get tested through daily use. Due to the contractor’s warranty minor problems, like clogged water pipes, are found and corrected at no cost to the college, said Blomquist.

“We get complaints from time to time on the comfort of a classroom, whether it’s too cold, warm, or noisy, and we try to address those as they come along,” said Blomquist.

When asked about older buildings on Ocean campus, 18-year-old City College student Angela Li said “Even though they’re old, they’re still in pretty good condition. It’s not like they’re falling apart.”
In addition to the appearance of older buildings’ interiors, earthquake preparedness is considered an important issue as well.

“All of the buildings on campus have been constructed within structural codes appropriate to the time they were built. Many have been inspected and determined to still be structurally adequate for seismic activity,” Blomquist said about the state of campus buildings.

“The current code requires that whenever any significant remodeling is done to a building, if there are seismic adjustments that need to be made to bring it up to current code, that has to be done as part of that work,” said Blomquist.

In regards to covering seismic work financially, “It depends on when that need [to retrofit a building] was discovered, but if we assume it was something that was decided upon currently, it would be funded by the 2001 and 2005 Proposition A Bond,” said Blomquist.