More Background Information

A new home for the Yachats Youth & Family Activities Program
Expansion of the Yachats Commons Community Center
A joint YYFAP / City of Yachats project

YYFAP youth and family programming has grown in the last 14 years, both in scope and in number of participants. Our current space (the Yachats Commons basement), generously provided by the City of Yachats, was not originally designed for youth programming, and is at capacity. Also, new state regulations being considered for certification of youth services providers would adversely impact our ability to operate from this space. This winter, the basement experienced flooding several times, an urgent reminder that a new facility is needed.

The YYFAP Board of Directors is actively pursuing a new facility for its programs. The board started by forming, in December ’07, the YYFAP Facilities Committee to investigate opportunities for developing new space which will offer a roomy, healthy, bright, functional, and flexible environment for the program and staff in order to accommodate the needs of the community’s youth and families.

The Facilities Committee has solicited input (through special meetings, conversations, surveys and phone calls) from kids, parents, staff, board, advisory council, and community regarding,

What is good about the current space;
What a new facility should look like (size, spaces);
Where such a facility should be located.

In summary, the stakeholder input centered on the following:

YYFAP’s current programs are much needed, appreciated by kids and their parents. Consistent quality and commitment of staff is seen as key.
The ideas for a new facility were many and varied from which the following conceptualization was summarized:

A well designed, large, bright, functional and flexible space with dedicated areas for pre-school, youth and teen activities, food preparation and adequate office and storage spaces, as well as multi-use areas to serve changing program needs (computer center, homework help, game area, classroom space, dance/music, etc.)

The new facility is to allow for expansion of our intergenerational programming, as well as the addition of senior services and licensed daycare services. The board of YYFAP is committed to adding these programs.
Locating the new facility at the Yachats Commons is preferred: close to community center, with its gym, stage, playground and ball field, in the center of town. An addition to the Commons facility would avoid the need for duplication of amenities such as gym and playground.

The desire to build on City property provided a unique opportunity to build upon the existing mutually beneficial relationship which YYFAP and the City of Yachats have enjoyed for many years. It turned YYFAP’s quest for a new facility into a collaborative effort to provide quality programming for the long term benefit of local residents.

City Council, the Parks & Commons Commission and the Friends of the Yachats Commons Foundation (with unanimous support from all their members) are now working jointly with YYFAP towards a succesful project, through the use of “Round Table” meetings with representation from each group. There is a strong feeling among all involved that we are all on the same page and represent the same interests. YYFAP and the City have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding which outlines how we’ll work together. We’ve jointly selected 2form Architecture of Eugene to generate the concept design.

The Round Table has actively helped narrow down design options, and now the finished concept design, along with costs estimates, has been formally presented to the Round Table February 3rd ,2009. The design incorporates many elements of the LEED standards for energy efficiency. It not only serves YYFAP’s needs very well, but also adds much to the functionality and attractiveness of the Yachats Commons Community Center. City Council approved the concept design at its March 2009 meeting. Significantly, the Round Table group also decided that the funding effort be a joint effort of each of the entities involved. This will not only lead to a more effective effort, but also emphasizes the strength of our collaboration.

The YYFAP board has relied on Community Services Consortium consultants to help us throughout this process. Clay Martin is assisting with planning and design, and Tom Cope with fundraising and grant writing expertise.

Already, before active fundraising started, YYFAP obtained three grants:

from the Oregon Community Foundation: $25,000 towards planning and design, and a $75,000 challenge grant towards construction (to be matched by an equal amount raised from businesses and individuals);
from the Ford Family Foundation ($6000 towards planning);
from Lincoln County Economic Development funds ($10,000) towards planning costs.