Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989-06-19; Parks & Recreation Commission; 689-5; Tap Dance Classes - Scheduling FacilitiesPARK 6 RECREATION COMMISSION - AGENDA BILL AB# 689 5 MTQ. 6/19/89 HPPT P & R TITLE; TAP DANCE CLASSES FACILITIES FOR - SCHEDULING CLASSES DEPT. HD. CITY ATTY CITY MGR. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Review staff report and direct staff to continue to determine the uses and to schedule City facilities under the existing policies and procedures, taking into account all the pertinent facts of each proposed use. ITEM EXPLANATION; In May, seventeen letters were received by the Director from parents of Grace Etcheberria's tap and ballet students. The form type letters stated two concerns: 1. objection to "being denied use of Calavera Hills dance floor for tap classes" and concerns over use of linoleum floor instead of hardwood floor; 2. concerns over "the gang activity around Harding Center"; "rough-looking young men". . . "stare in at the girls in their tap or ballet classes". Principal Recreation Supervisor Ken Price looked into the issues and he responded by phone and letter to each of the parents who sent a letter. He took the following steps to prepare the attached report and recommendations (Exhibit 2). 1. Discussed the parents' concerns with Grace Etcheberria and other Dance Instructors teaching at Harding Center 2. Discussed the alleged gang activity with Carlsbad Police and Harding Center Facility Attendants. 3. Discussed floor maintenance and alternatives, including fiscal impacts, with the Building Maintenance Superintendent. 4. Surveyed other municipalities offering dance classes, including tap dance, to find out about types of floor surfaces used and experience in the stated health and safety concerns ("shin splints" and slippery floor). FISCAL IMPACT; The policy on scheduling of facilities has no fiscal impact. The cost of facility maintenance of hardwood floors has been addressed in staff's report (Exhibit 2, "Discussion") 0 15 P & R Commission Agenda Bill # Page 2 CONCLUSIONS I The Department has a policy and procedure for Facility Use Regulations. It is our responsibility to determine the best use of many facilities based on several factors, including the health and safety of users, the projected "wear and tear" and maintenance impact. This policy applies to scheduled use of parks, athletic fields and buildings, such as our Community Centers. EXHIBITS; 1. Sample "form letter" from dance class parents, dated 5/1/89 2. Memorandum to Director from Principal Recreation Supervisor, dated 6/6/89. 3. Letter of Intent to Withdraw, dated 6/5/89 16 May 1, 1989 Mr. David Bradstreet, Director Parks and Recreation Department City Hall 1200 Elm Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008 Dear Mr. Bradstreet, As a parent of a student in Grace-Ann Etcheberria's dance classes, I strongly object to being denied use of Calavera Hills' dance floor for tap classes. As you mo s t likely k n o*..r Ms PM- ^ b a K •-> v ^ ; n • •= rt ~> <•>f o <— i ^«; •=: p <r attract to Carlsbad a very largo following of ndultr; who arc. grateful to be able to have their children taught by such a competent and professional instructor. Grace-Ann, as you know, holds a major dance recital in Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center every year, and she has become well-known for the her work towards establishing a children's dance theater which resulted in the production of "Alice in Wonderland" for each of the past two years. Naturally, when the parents of Grace--Ann' r> students learned through the Parks Department brochure that ve would be able to use the new Calavera Hills center rather than the Harding Recreation Center, we were delighted. Over the past several months we have been very concerned about the gang activity around the Harding Center, especially in the evening. At least twice we have called the police to complain about the number o£ rough-looking young men who gather around the center (sometimes as many as twenty of them.) They walk up and down the alley behind the center, up and down the sidewalk in front of the center, and even gather outside the windows and stare in at the girls in their tap or ballet classes. When the Calaveras Hills Center was being constructed, we parents understood from the Park Department brochure that all of the dance classes, including tap, would be transferred. Now we are being told that tap classes will be excluded in order to preserve the hardwood floors, unless we are willing to have the tap classes held on linoleum floors. Although the maintenance of the floors is certainly important, it did not seem that amateur tap classes could do any more damage than the general wear and tear the floors will receive from every day use. Patricia Hoffman of the West Coast Ballet Theater in La Jolla verified this. According to her, children's tap shoes do scratch and scuff their hardwood floors but not to any great extent. In fact, she says that tennis shoes worn by basketball players cause as much damage. She says that they u?od to permit the use - 17 EXHIBIT I of their dance floors by local basketball teams ainJ other sports enthusiasts but have now stopped that practice because tennis shoes also caused streaks that couldn't be washed off but had to be sanded out. In fact, Us. Hoffman said that If general appearance were the major concern, the streaks and sole marks left by tennis shoes were much more unsightly than scuff marks made by tap shoes. She also said that having tap classes on linoleum floors was a very poor and perhaps dangerous idea. She says the finish on linoleum is quite slippery (tap shoes provide no traction), and it can cause shin splints, especially In young legs. She gave her insurance carrier as a reference, who confirmed that Insurance rates would be higher If they knew tap classes were being held on linoleum floors. One final note of Interest about West Coast Ballet Theater's floors: they are unfinished. In other words, the floors have no varnish or wax to protect them, and the maintenance requirements are still minimal. I hope you can see from this letter that there Is certainly no reason to prohibit Ms. Etcheberria's tap classes from the use of Calavera Hills' hardwood floors. Because of: her enthusiasm and great reputation, she has brought much business to the Carlsbad Parks and Recreation Department that might otherwise have gone to private dance studios. She has involved many local children in theater projects, and their parents are delighted with the opportunity for their children to experience more than just a once-a-week dance lesson with a one-minute recital dance at the end of each semester. To risk losing her good Influence at this point seems ludicrous. Sincerely, 18 June 6, 1989 TO: DAVID BRADSTREET, PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR FROM: KEN PRICE, PRINCIPAL RECREATION SUPERVISOR \ . f ~^» TAP DANCE CLASSES BACKGROUND; Our department recently received a number of letters from parents whose children are currently participating in Grace-Ann Etchiberrria's dance classes (Exhibit 1). They are upset that the department will not allow Ms. Etcheberria to teach tap dancing on the hardwood floors at the Calavera Community Center. Additional concerns include gang activity around the Harding Community Center, maintenance requirements for dance floors and claiming that linoleum floors are potentially dangerous for tap dancing. In my May 12th letter which was written to the parents (exhibit 2), I addressed each of these concerns. However, based on the recent inquiry at the May 15th Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, I feel it is necessary to elaborate on staff's position regarding its decision and also address the specific questions from the Commission. RECOMMENDATION: In consideration of all the facts, it is staffs' recommendation that our department continue to offer tap dance classes as we are presently doing and based on the best interest for the public, to allow staff the right to determine where classes will be held. DISCUSSION: Currently we are offering ten (10) tap dance classes for approximately 135 youngsters ages 3-13 of which 3 classes are held at Harding, 4 at Stagecoach and 3 at Calavera Community Center. Classes are generally one (1) hour in length, weekdays from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. The tap classes at the Harding Recreation Hall are taught every Tuesday from 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Depending on the age the parents with younger children generally will wait at the Center until the child has completed their instruction. One of the major concerns regarding the classes which are being taught at the Harding site is that of gang activity. We have contacted the Police Department and, according to Lieutenant Shipley, there is a group of young boys who hang out in the 3300 - 3400 block of Harding Street. They frequently visit Jack-in- the-Box and in turn must pass by the Harding Center. During the past three months there has only been two disturbances at the Harding Center. Staff is well aware of the neighborhood surrounding Harding Center and makes every effort to insure the safety of all participants who use the Center. 19 EXHIBIT 2 Page 2 Memo - Tap Dance June 6, 1989 The second concern was in regards to the maintenance requirements of the hardwood floors as it relates to tap shoes. In speaking with Chuck Walden, Building Maintenance Superintendent, I have gathered some facts regarding floor care as it relates to tap dancing. With normal wear and tear, a floor is generally lightly sanded and needs to be resurfaced every two (2) years. If tap were allowed in the activity room, the floor would need to be resurfaced a minimum of twice a year at approximately $1,500 each time. A floor can be resurfaced about three (3) times, then it needs to be stripped to bare wood. Floors can only be stripped so many times before it needs to be replaced. At today's prices the cost would be approximately $14,000. While these are only estimates, based on general floor standards, it is obvious that allowing tap definitely lessens the longevity of the floor, would be extremely expensive in maintaining and would become unsightly to the many community users. The final concern was that linoleum floors are dangerous and would cause shin splints on young children. During the past several years we have offered tap classes on the Stagecoach Center linoleum floors with no major problems. Staff surveyed other Park and Recreation Departments and found that linoleum floors are the common surface used (exhibit 3). We also inquired about accidents and possible shin splint problems and found no indication of any major injuries and found only the normal falls expected in a program such as this. CONCLUSION: The City of Carlsbad Parks and Recreation facilities are used for many types of programs and activities. I believe it is the responsibility of staff to protect the interests of these user groups whether its in safety appearance or in upholding its high maintenance standards. In order to accomplish this staff feels that it is imperative that tap class should not be allowed on the hardwood floors at Calavera and/or Stagecoach Centers. EXHIBITS: 1. Letter from parents of Grace Etcherberria's Tap Dance Classes 2. Reply letter from Ken Price 3. Tap Dance Floor Survey c: Lynn Chase, Recreation Superintendent Chuck Walden, Building Maintenance Superintendent Gail Watts, Recreation Supervisor Robin Bettin, Recreation Supervisor David Millikan, Recreation Supervisor 20 GRACE-ANN ETCHEBERRIA'S DANCE LESSONS On behalf of the Carlsbad Parks and Recreation Department, 1 would like to address your concerns about Grace-Ann Etcheberria's class. While I can understand your disappointment at learning that the dance clashes will not be held at Calavera Hills Community Center, I would like to clarify the circumstances surrounding this decision. Although the move was announced in the Parks and Recreation Department's brochure, the exact classroom location was not. specified. Upon completion of a lengthy investigation, it was determined that lap Dance could not be allowed on the hardwood floors. We in turn offered Grace-Ann the opportunity to hold the Ballet classes at Calavera on the hardwood floors and hold lap Dance in the multi-purpose rooms on the tile floors. Another option offered was to hold Ballet at Calavera and Tap Dance at the Harding Community Center Recreation Hall. In response to the above options, she chose to keep all classes at the Harding Center. Our facilities are used by a wide variety of community organizations, department. classes and as such we must maintain a higher standard of floor care maintenance. Tap shoes, whether amateur or professional will, in fact, decrease the longevity of the floor, and cause additional maintenance. According to general floor care standards, hardwood floors need to be resurfaced approximately every two years. In order to uphold our floor care standards, the flooring Specialists have informed us that if Tap shoes are allowed, the wood floors would nned to be resurfaced twice annually. This resurfacing would be extremely expensive not to mention the loss of availability to other user groups. Linoleum floors ate perhaps not the preferred surface for this class, howevnr, they are thn most. commonly used throughout San Diego County Recreation Departments inrluding: Poway, Escondido, El Cajon, La Mesa, Spring Vallny and San Diego. Stngr-conch Community Center in South Carlsbad also conducts tap lessons on a linoleum floor and has added a non-slip sealer in order to prevent possible injury. 21 Page 2 Dance Memo 5/11/89 While we are aware of the demographics of the Village area, WR have always made an effort to Insure the safety of our participants. Facility attendants are always on duty and according to the Carlsbad Police Department, the neighborhood surrounding the Harding Community Center is the most frequently patrolled area in Carlsbad. Ms. Etcheberria is certainly a very qualified and popular instructor, however;, it is our intention to offer a solid entry level program. We are not strictly a dance studio and therefore must look at our programs on a brond spectrum. The decision we have made regarding the hardwood floors have been made in the interest of all Parks and Recreation Department programs and thn community at large. If you have any further concerns regarding this program, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Ken Price c: David Bradstreet, Parks and Recreation Director Lynn Chase, Recreation Superintendent Robin Bettin, Recreation Supervisor, Calavcra Community Center Grace-Ann Etcheberria - Tap and Ballet Instructor CARLSBAD PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS TAP DANCE FLOOR SURVEY CITY El Cajon Escondido La Mesa Poway San Clemente San Marcos Santa Clara Spring Valley *Vista Carlsbad Stagecoach Center Carlsbad Harding Center SURFACE Tile Tile Tile Tile Tile I Me tile Tile Wood lile Wood *Prlmary use as a dance studio only 5/89 23 June 5th, 1989 To the City of Carlsbad, Parks and Recreation Dept. Please accept this letter as official six week notice of my intention to withdraw the Childrens Dance Workshop from your Parks and Recreation program. As per my discussion with Dee Pope and Ken Price, I intend to finish out my summer session dated June 6 through July 18. My unwillingness to continue teaching at the Harding Street location in the Fall is due to the deteriorating area, the safety of myself and my students after dark, and the overactive use of the Harding facilty as it stands now. My hopes of moving and developing my program at Calaveras Hills are no longer a reality and I have had to make decision best for my dance program. I respect the cities decision to use the new facility as they see fit. For the record I personally don't agree with these decisions but I have no desire to fight the city on this issue. Personally and professionally I have enjoyed ten years of satisfying co operation with the City of Carlsbad. I leave with no regrets or hostile feelings. Please accept my sincere thanks at having hosted my program over the years past. Sincerely, ~^&M Grace Ann Etcheberria-Jacobs MFA Director - The Children's Dance Workshop & Stage co. 24 EXHIBIT 3