RANCHO SANTA FE — The New Year brought an unexpected surprise to the staff of the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center when it was discovered Jan. 4 that several rooms were flooded. The sub pumps, located off a meeting room on the upper level of the center, failed sometime Jan. 3, when the Community Center was closed.
“We found about 3 inches of water in the sub pump room, and over an inch of water in the meeting room,” said Erin Leahey, interim executive director of the center.
The water also leaked downstairs and damaged the Marie Cleary room, a room used for after school programs for children. Consequently, several of the programs were held nearby at the school. “The school has been very accommodating, allowing us to relocate programs over there,” Leahey said. However, a Toastmasters meeting had to be cancelled.
“The problem with water and the pumps is an ongoing battle,” Leahey said. Water from rainfall drains and collects directly under the Community Center. “The water drains from the top of the hill and over from the school area and deposits right here.” When the pumps failed, the collected water had nowhere to go but spill out into the Community Center. Carpets are being replaced; walls are being replastered and freshly painted.
“It’s kind of a blessing in disguise,” Leahey said. She explained that there had been discussion of repainting and doing repairs but it was all still in the planning stage. “We’re going to spend the extra money to cover what the insurance doesn’t to get these repairs done.” Drywall was replaced on Jan. 8 and new carpet was laid on Jan. 9.
Fortunately, the disruption came at a time when little was going on at the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center. “The majority of our programs were scheduled to start on Monday (Jan. 11),” Leahey said. By that time the repairs will have been completed and all programs will begin as originally scheduled.
For more information about the upcoming programs at the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center, visit www.rsfcc.org.
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