Could Carp Finally Get a
Community Center?
Seniors Rally Support at
Rods and Roses Parade
By Tyler Hayden | August 22, 2024
Read the rest of our 2024 Active Aging cover story here.
The departure of Rite Aid last year left a gaping hole in the heart of Carpinteria. But if the town’s residents have anything to say about it, the 7,300-square-foot Linden Avenue storefront could someday be home to a new community and senior center. That was the rallying cry from a group of older residents who took part in the recent Rods and Roses parade.
“Can you imagine if the Rite Aid building became a community center — the big indoor facility paired with our outdoor facility?” Kristina Calkins, director of the Carpinteria Arts Center, asked rhetorically at a City Council meeting the same week. “What an asset for our community.” The two properties sit next to each other, with the Arts Center frequently hosting senior-focused events.
The Council, however, was tepid about the idea, citing the substantial $5 million price tag to purchase the building from the Welty Family Trust when the city — already facing a serious budget shortage — just cut a long list of services.
At least one public speaker agreed the time was not right. “You really need to get your finances in order before taking any major steps like this,” said former mayor Donna Jordan.
But Councilmember Wade Nomura wasn’t ready to give up just yet. “If the community wants it bad enough, we will find those funds,” he said. And Nomura knows what he’s talking about. He was a driving force behind the Tomal Interpretative Playground when funding was scarce, and he cited the city’s new skatepark that came together through grassroots outreach and donor support.
The council ultimately directed staff to come up with operational cost estimates for the building as well as possible funding sources, including local philanthropists. The city recently received an $850,000 federal grant for the creation of a community center, which City Manager Michael Ramirez suggested could be used for a $60,000, six-month option-to-purchase agreement, with senior services employees staffing the facility.
“I’ve lived here over 15 years now, and I have to say when I moved here, I was shocked that there wasn’t a community center,” said Calkins. “I had never seen a town that didn’t have one.”
“If we don’t take the opportunity to buy this building, somebody else will buy it and turn it into a for-profit business,” said resident Lorraine McIntire. “It will not be available for many, many, many years, if at all.”
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