LAGUNA NIGUEL : $3-Million Center for Seniors OKd

A $3-million senior citizen’s center, for years a top priority for residents and city leaders, got long-awaited approval from the City Council.

A round of loud applause greeted the votes Tuesday as each council member commended the design of the 14,060-square-foot center, which will include a classroom, library, fitness room, ballroom, kitchen and gift shop.

“As far as any capital improvement being considered by the city, I would have to say this is easily the No. 1 priority--and it’s a considerable distance to No. 2,” said Public Works Director Ken Montgomery.

Seniors now meet in a storefront donated by an area shopping center, a site that allows for meetings and card games but is too small for large gatherings, said Kerry Bartelt, director of parks and recreation.

“They’re doing a bunch with what they’ve got, but it’s limited,” Bartelt said. “This will open so much more for them. It really will be a great center.”

Expanding the services available to the 3-year-old city’s senior population was one of the driving forces behind incorporation, Montgomery said. “The seniors were a major force in bringing about the incorporation, and this center was one of the big issues for them,” he said.

Councilman James Krembas called the center “a 10-year dream” that he saw begin while serving on the area’s community council, an earlier form of government for Laguna Niguel.

Besides praising the center’s design, Krembas said he was pleased with the location, which is planned for the lot southwest of the Moulton Parkway and Aliso Creek Road intersection.

“It’s relatively centered in the community, it’s on a major thoroughfare and there’s public transportation access,” he said. “There’s also a lot of residents who will be within walking distance.”

The building is designed to include a billiards room, a garden, a stage facing the ballroom and facilities for counseling and health services.

The project now enters the final bidding stage, and, pending council approval of contracts, the 12-month construction phase could begin as early as June, Montgomery said.