Rodgers Senior Center site as a veterans hall?

Huntington Beach residents have long complained about the deteriorating state of the Michael E. Rodgers Seniors’ Center, noting its chipping paint, loose ceiling tiles and poor restrooms. The long push to build a new center for the city’s seniors is now underway.

But now Mayor Pro Tem Dave Sullivan and Councilman Erik Peterson think that the 12,000-square-foot site, at 17th Street and Orange Avenue, is worth converting into a veterans memorial hall that could be used by the city or the public for community meetings and other gatherings, an idea they proposed at the City Council meeting Monday night.

Council members voted 6 to 1 to direct city staff to analyze how much it would cost to repurpose the building. City staff has 60 days to report their findings to council members at an upcoming meeting.

Councilwoman Barbara Delgleize dissented, saying she is not against a memorial hall but wants further analysis of other possible uses for the 2-acre site.

Previous suggestions have been to turn the property into a park or sell it and allow a developer to build single-family homes there.

“I’d like to support the motion, but I’m not willing to go ahead and just call it a veterans hall,” she said. “I would feel more comfortable if Community Services had an opportunity to do some kind of review or study on the property.”

Many residents, including Sullivan, have said that the Rodgers Seniors’ Center is among the worst senior centers in Orange County in terms of disrepair. People have complained about the plumbing, electrical work and loose ceiling tiles. Delgleize said the roof needs to be replaced.

However, Peterson said Monday that the facility is not the “old dilapidated building” that people make it out to be.

“The last thing I want to see is this building close down and see it deteriorate,” Peterson said. “This is a great use for this building. We can still go forward and use this space.”

Councilman Mike Posey said he fears it would be too expensive to maintain the center.

Peterson said costs could be offset through donations from supporters of veterans.

“I’ve seen a lot of money go into these halls, and I think we could go for it,” Peterson said.

Many Huntington Beach seniors have waited for years for a new senior center. In 2006, Huntington Beach voters approved the construction of a new facility in Central Park, but a lawsuit by a citizens group, arguing that the project’s environmental impact report was insufficient, temporarily stopped the work.

In July 2014, the California 4th District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the city, allowing it to begin construction. City officials broke ground that November.

The new facility is expected to open this summer.

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Reduced parking passes for veterans

In other City Council news Monday, council members unanimously voted to have city staff look into reducing the price of an annual parking pass for veterans to $125.

Huntington Beach currently charges $150 for a general pass, allowing patrons to park at city-owned beach parking lots and meters. Seniors are charged $50 for the pass.

The parking pass cannot be used at meters along Main Street or with residential or business meters.