Rough Waters Ahead
Sep 24, 2024 11:40AM ● By Shaunna BoydThese billboards are in the Fair Oaks Village near the Fair Oaks Water
District administrative building. Photo courtesy of Misha Sarkovich
FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - The Fair Oaks Water District (FOWD) has been located in the Fair Oaks Village for more than 40 years, beginning in 1979 with the purchase of its current corporation yard at 10317 Fair Oaks Blvd. Across the street is its new administration building, which was completed in 2009.
The construction of the administration building, with Spanish-motif style architecture, was the first phase of improvements planned for the Fair Oaks Water District facilities. The second phase focuses on renovating the corporation yard to replace the existing site infrastructure, improving both safety and efficiency.
The current yard has been plagued with drainage issues, with heavy rain often flooding the main building. The existing building does not meet current building codes or ADA accessibility requirements. Staff must contend with poor ventilation and lighting, dust falling through the ceiling into the interior, and frequent pest infestations.
The Fair Oaks Water District began moving forward with the yard redevelopment plan in 2018, hiring an architect to create the conceptual design and getting approval from Sacramento County. The design is the same style as the administration building, creating a cohesive aesthetic to itsVillage campus. The Fair Oaks Water District is in the process of obtaining a building permit from the county and then can request bids for the project.
But there has been a recent effort by some residents to halt the project and move the Fair Oaks Water District yard out of the Village. Parking has always been a challenge in the Village and the Fair Oaks Recreation and Park District (FORPD) improvements currently underway, including a new amphitheater, could draw even more visitors. Proponents of the Move the Yard effort say that the Fair Oaks Water District’s 1.59-acre corporation yard could be put to better use, particularly as parking for the Village.
The Fair Oaks Village Enhancement Committee (FOVEC) has been part of the push to relocate the Fair Oaks Water District yard.
Fair Oaks Village Enhancement Committee President Nan Danford wrote, “The goal is for that property to become a visitor-centered complex offering perhaps a mix of businesses along with parking for those businesses. Fair Oaks Village is becoming a center for dining, shopping and the arts, so having businesses and facilities that enhance and support that is in the Village’s best interest.”
After public requests to get the Fair Oaks Water District Board to reconsider their redevelopment project, the Board of Directors brought the issue back for further discussion in March 2023. While many members of the public spoke in favor of moving the yard, the Board voted unanimously to reaffirm their redevelopment plans, stating that by law, all their decisions must support the Fair Oaks Water District mission, which is to deliver high quality water to their ratepayers.
Pictured here is the current condition of the Fair Oaks Water District yard building. Photo courtesy of the Fair Oaks Water District
Director Misha Sarkovich recently spoke about this issue, stating that while the Fair Oaks Water District understands that parking is a serious issue in the Village, “that’s not our mission.”
Sarkovich said the Fair Oaks Water District is not responsible for providing parking to the Village: “That’s not our job.”
There are parking spaces for customers at both the district’s administration building and its yard, so customers are not taking up spaces intended for other Village visitors. And the Fair Oaks Water District has always worked to be a good neighbor, allowing the use of their parking spaces during evenings and weekends when the Village is at its busiest, according to Sarkovich. Between the district’s two properties in the Village, about 50 parking spaces are available to the public outside of normal business hours.
Director Sarkovich said that the parking problem “should not be solved at the expense of the FOWD ratepayer.”
The Fair Oaks Water District serves about 40,000 people and more than 90% do not live or operate businesses in the Village. Sarkovich said that Fair Oaks Water District rates are significantly lower than other districts in the region, even accounting for a recently approved rate increase of 25% over a three-year period, which is intended to cover the cost of replacing large transmission lines that were installed in the 1950s.
Now, an effort is underway to replace all members of the Fair Oaks Water District Board of Directors in the upcoming election. While three members of the Board are already up for re-election, the other seats are now facing a recall effort.
Director Sarkovich said supporters of the Move the Yard effort can’t win an election on the idea of building a parking lot, so they have created a “convoluted story,” accusing the board of lack of transparency and inefficient money management. But, Sarkovich stated, the Fair Oaks Water District is currently operating with healthy reserves and no debt, while maintaining quality water and low rates for their customers.
Local developer Leon Corcos has been a vocal supporter of the Move the Yard effort, and now he is “100% in favor of the Recall/Replace effort to bring new leadership to the FOWD Board. Frankly, it’s been a long time coming. … I believe it’s time for fresh perspectives and a direction that better serves our community.”
Corcos stated that “the overall aim is to make better use of that parcel for the community’s benefit.” Because it’s right at the entrance to the Village, Corcos sees endless possibilities for the site, such as retail and restaurants that will bring jobs and tax revenue to the community.
Pictured here is a rendering of the possible new yard building. Photo courtesy of Misha Sarkovich
But Sarkovich said for the Fair Oaks Water District, the issue is clear: “They own the property and have plans in place to make the necessary improvements to continue operating there and it would be an extreme inconvenience to have the yard located away from the new administration building and the well they operate in the Village. The Fair Oaks Water District has to protect the best interests of their customers and the board maintains that moving the yard would degrade the quality of their service, decreasing their ability to quickly respond to emergencies in their service area.”
And there are residents who support the Fair Oaks Water District remaining an institution in the Village. During Public Comment at the August meeting of the Fair Oaks Water District Board of Directors, one resident said she found the recall signs upsetting and said the attacks on the board are unwarranted.
While anyone is free to run for the board seats up for election this year, Director Sarkovich sees the recall effort as “an overreach.” He said, “The recall and replace campaign is unfortunate. Instead of talking about water, we’re talking about parking.”