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C00001 00001
C00002 00002	Swimming pool questionnaire results.
C00006 00003	Pool location considerations.
C00013 00004	Financing considerations
C00018 00005	Pool Builders
C00022 00006			Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi Questionnaire
C00027 00007		Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi Questionnaire
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Swimming pool questionnaire results.

    Answers received by Paula Burr from places taken from a list of
    California Retirement homes.

6 replies received.
    2 places are not considered because they were not enough like The
    Sequoias to be at all comparable but these 2 have pools and liked
    them.
The 4 places considered are all slightly smaller than The Sequoias.

All have pools and all consider a pool to be an asset.
    It is possible that the wording of the questionnaire caused places
    that do not have pools to not reply.  In any case none did.
All stressed the theraputic value of the pool, but only one employs
    a paid therapist, and one has a volunteer therapist from a YMCA
    who holds water exercise classes.
All consider the pool to be a part of the general facilities and
    none make an extra charge for its use.
The reported usage varies from 8% to 15% of the residents.
Hours of use vary and one even allows evening bathing.
None has a life guard but all require at least 2 adults to be present.
None has had any accidents.
Three places reported no problems with the pool.
One place reported a continual controversy as to the proper temperature
    for the water.
    (A simple expedient would be to allow the pool to cool off during the
    night, hold it at a reasonable temperature for serious swimmers during
    the early morning hours, heat it for the less strenuous during the
    afternoons.  Solar heating is ideal for this.)
Pools vary in size from 18x36 to 25x75 feet, and in depth from 5 to 8 feet. 
All pools are in the open, all are heated and all are used all year.
    Only one uses solar heating (which was given a very favorable report).
    (A black bottom to the pool and a plastic cover to reduce nighttime
    radiation is a cheap form of solar heating that we might consider.)
One place is considering the addition of a jacuzzi. (Others may have
    jacuzzis but they were not asked.)
Pool location considerations.

1) The pool should be convenient to the Lodge and the Health Center but
not so near as to introduce a noise problem.  There will be Sequoians in
these locations who need the theraputic use of the pool.
2) It should be in a sunny location, for reasons of user comfort and
so that some form of solar heating could be used.
3) There should be toilet facilities reasonably near.
4) The pool should not be too visible to passer-bys so as to invite
trespassing or to be considered an 'attractive nuisance'.
5) The site should be easily fenced and the fencing should be easily 
softened by plantings.
6) The pool should, never-the less, be visable to others in The Sequoias
so that the unsafe use of the pool, such as its use by single individuals,
would not long go unnoticed.
7) The lay of the land should be suitable, perhaps a natural depression.
8) The location should be such as to permit the easy access of excavation
equipment, cement trucks etc. so as to minimize the construction and
maintenance costs.

It is not possible to meet all of these conditions completely,
but we should try.

Pool sites that might be considered are:

A) The area in the shape of a slight depression that lies between the
Croquet Court and the adjacent parking lot.  The only serious objection to
this site is its visibility fron Portola road, but there are already some
trees to shield it and there is ample space to add more plantings.  By
developing this area we would be adding to the recreational facilities
that are already there and this might indirectly lead to a more general
use of these facilities with the obvious benificial effects on our
residents' health.  The nearness to the already existing toilet facilities
at the Bowling Green is another advantage of this site.

B) A second possible site is the area to the right of Hanson Hall where the
flag pole is now located.  This area is seldom used but it is a little too
close to the dining room.  It would pose some very serious construction
problems, since the retaining wall is undoubtedly not adequate to resist
the lateral thrust of a pool and the underpinning of Hanson Hall might
also have to be reinforced.  The trees on this site would have to go but
the pool would still be shaded by the nearby buildings.

C) Still another possible site is the area near the duplexes at the end of
the Colonnade.  This is a long way from the Health Center, but it has one
big advantage in that it is not visible from outside the property.  It is
a bit too close to apartments and noise might be a problem.

D) Finally we might consider the area in the vicinity of the brook to the
left of our entrance and near Willow Brook Road.  This is not satisfactory
for many reasons.

Two areas not at present on our land might also be mentioned but they
are not serious contenders because of the land cost involved.
E) The area just outside of our property across the road and to the north
west of the Lodge.  This piece of land might be available for purchase.
F) The area to the south west of our property line.  This land is squarely
on the Andreas Fault and so can not be used for home construction and
might therefore be purchased at a reasonable price.
Financing considerations

Because of the problems due to inflation, it is unreasonable to expect
that the NCPH will underwrite the cost of constructing and maintaining a
pool.  As a matter of fact, The Sequoias already underwrites the cost of
maintaining a Bowling Green that certainly costs as much to maintain as
maintenance charges on a pool and the Green is actually used by fewer
people than the number that will use the pool.  But, be that as it may, we
must consider some alternate method of financing.

A preliminary canvassing of a few people selected more or less at random
seems to indicate that there are several with enough interest in having a
pool to be willing to contribute a few thousand dollers each toward its
cost.  To make the project viable we should raise something more than the
construction cost so that there would be something left over as an
endowment to provide for some of the maintenance costs.  My guess is
that this means something like $20,000 as a minimum.  I believe that we
can do this.  Maintenance costs can be met by a monthly fee charged to
the pool users, although it would be nice if we could avoid having to do
this. 

The way to proceed.

It seems to me that the proper way to proceed will be for the Residents'
Council to discuss the matter in detail and then to send a letter to the
Board of Trustees indicating our desire to undertake the project and
asking the Board for its advice and consent.

We should then get some firm commitments from enough people to be
reasonably sure that we can raise the necessary money.  It will not be
necessary to get commitments for the full amount at this stage but it
would be foolish to proceed without a reasonable assurance that the the
money will be available.

This next step will then be to get in touch with several pool builders and
get bids from them.  We will have decided where we want to have the pool
and how big it should be.  We can depend on the builders for suggestions
as to the method of construction etc.  In fact the problem will be to
willow their proposals of all non-essential details.

With bids in hand, the NCPH should then approach the Portola Town Council
for permission to build the pool, stressing the theraputic need for the
pool and outlineing the provisions that we propose to adopt to prevent the
pool from being an eyesore or an attractive nuisance.  To approach the
Town Council without firm plans would, in my opinion, be the wrong thing
to do.  The Town Council would be sure to ask for more details before
acting.  We would simply be alerting those who oppose anything The
Sequoias wants to do and we would be giving them time to rally support for
their point of view.

We can expect the Town Council to take exception to some details of our
plan.  This will force us to go back to the pool builders for changes
in order to get final permission.  Then we must raise the money and the
NCPH board can then let the contract.
Pool Builders

Admiral Pools and Spas
1024 Morse Ave
Sunnyvale
734-4600
license 209220
(in Fair Oaks Business Park)
Show Room

American Pools Inc.
1910 Camden Ave
San Jose (discontinued phone)
371-2863
license 325247
Solar heating

Anthony Pools
1164 El Camino Real
San Carlos
592-7946
license 190179 C-53
(World's largest)
Gunite polls
(Bob Bowie Jan 12)

Aqua Blu Swimming Pools
A T & F Construction Co.
261  Hamilton Ave.
Palo Alto
326-4254
1221 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd San Jose
257-0535
license 153343
(answering service-did not call back)

Aquarius Pools Inc.
477 S San Antonia Rd
Los Altos
948-4141
License 294424
Original creative designs
  by Fred Fritsinger
Solar heating
(Fred Fritsinger called back
  he will send literature)

Brawner Pools Inc.
1182 Saratoga Ave. 
San Jose
984-7600
license 262613
(at prices you can afford)

C S M Master Pools Inc.
1499 El Camino Real
San Carlos
595-1515
license 336151
Lee and Carol pools

Camino Pools
1055 San Mateo Drive
Menlo Park
324-0528
license 213743

Hawaiian Pools
1827 Junction Ave.
San Jose
377-3250 (discontinued phone)
by Maddox Steel Corp
  license c53-314468
Solar heating and insulated water

Holiday Pools
1042 Cascade Drive
Sunnyvale
245-0768

Lifetime Pools Inc
910 San Antonia Ave
Palo Alto
494-7070
Sunnyvale
738-1576
license 220832
(Gene McNeil Jan 12)

Royal Pools of Santa Clara Inc.
2258 Camden Ave (Camden and Bascom)
San Jose
371-8000
343-5733
license 278052-C53
talked with Marshal Page
should talk with Randy Hunt, sales manager
use South Bay Gunite Co.

Spa World
2270 So. Bascom Ave.
Campbell
377-5725
Div. of Calif. Home Decor Inc.
Hot tubs

Sunset Associates Inc.
1702 El Camino Real
Menlo Park
322-1826
license 257712
(locally owned)
Michael Boyter
will meet me at site Tues at 10am

Sunset Pools West Inc.
1495 S. Winchester Bl.
San Jose
374-2550
license 292317-C53
(not interested)

United Builders of Calif
(No address given)
964-6590
license 216899
class B1-C53-C61
Heritage Pools
contractor supervised
Bill Lake
will call

Val's Custom Built Pools
1440 S. Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd
San Jose
257-0895
license 279959
solar heating specialists
		Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi Questionnaire

The Residents' Council has appointed a committee to enquire into the
feasibility of having a swimming pool and jacuzzi here at The Sequoias.
 
We would like to know your opinion as to the aesthetic and theraputic
value of having a pool and jacuzzi and your preference as to location.

A preliminary survey was made of several California retirement homes
similar in size and scope to The Sequoias.  All those responding have
pools and consider them to be an asset and a part of their general
facilities.  None has a life guard and none has ever had any trouble (all
require that at least two residents must be present when the pool is in
use).  The reported usage varied from 8% to 15% of the total population.
All of the pools are in the open, heated and used the year around.

Because of the effects of inflation, the committee believes that the only
practical way for us to finance a pool will be:

1) To raise the money to build the pool by contributions from a few
individuals who are interested and able to contribute, and
2) To charge users enough to cover the maintenance costs so that there
would be no costs involved for non-users of the pool.

Several people have indicated their willingness to contribute toward the
initial cost.  These public-spirited people obviously do not want to spend
their money for a pool if it is not going to be used.

The monthly cost to each user will depend upon the number who use the
facilities.  With 30 or 40 users, the cost might be in the order of $10.

Answering this questionnaire does not obligate you in any way.  But please
be realistic and do not express an interest if you know that when the
chips are down you really will not be interested.

It is our understanding that Medicare will pay part of the costs of
supervised swimming exercises when this has been recommended by a
physician.  Mrs McKenzie is very much interested in seeing us get a pool
and jacuzzi and she would arrange for the necessary supervision and
transportation for those unable to walk to the pool.

The Residents' Council's Pool Committee
Paula Burr
Herb Dougall
Betty Hone
Jack Mansfield
Arthur Samuel, chairman.
	Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi Questionnaire

Please check those statements that most nearly express your desires, and
return your questionnaire to the Sequoias' desk c/o The Pool Committee.

I would like to have a pool and jacuzzi for the benifit of those who may
need these facilities for theraputic or health reasons.    Yes____ No____

I would be interested in using a pool if one is built.     Yes____ No____

I would be interested in using a jacuzzi if one is built.  Yes____ No____

I would be willing to pay a monthly fee of    $5 ____   $10____   $20____

I would use the pool all year even if it were in the open    ____
		     all year only if it were in a building  ____
		     only during the summer       	     ____

The prefered location for the pool and jacuzzi would be:
    Between the Croquet Court and the adjacent parking lot           ____
	Not ideal but believed best by the committee.
    At the right of Hanson Hall (where the flag pole is)             ____
    At the left of Hanson Hall (probably not enough room)            ____
    In the open area at the south east end of the Colonnade          ____
	If you live nearby, would you object?    Yes____  No____
    On newly purchased land to the north-west of the Lodge           ____
    Some other location. Please specify. ________________________________

The pool should be in the open ____ in a building ____ bubble covered____

The desired pool size is     20x40 ft.____  18x36 ft.____   15x30 ft.____

At the deepest end the pool should be 4 ft._____   6 ft. ____  8 ft. ____

Please give your name if you would like to discuss this with one of the
committee members, otherwise no signature is needed.