OCEANSIDE — The popular Club 55 fitness center for seniors has been temporarily closed for more than a month due to changes in its fiscal management.
During this time club members have been left in the dark about why the club had been closed and when it would reopen.
“Friends and I are puzzled about it,” club member Don Bendickson said. “It closed six weeks ago, with no explanation.”
Bendickson would routinely workout from 10 a.m. to noon.
“I’m dearly missing it, as do friends,” he said.
The prior manager gave minimal notification to members who paid annual dues through July 1.
The new manager, Vista Community Clinic, is just getting up to speed with securing necessary insurance and permits to reopen the club.
The partnership agreement between Vista Community Clinic, which will serve as the fiscal agency; the Boys & Girls Club, that operates the building; and the city, that finances operations, was reached on June 2.
Vista Community Clinic was asked to manage the fitness club after the previous fiscal manager came to the end of its agreement with the Boys & Girls Club and the city.
Without a new fiscal manager the fitness club would have been shut down permanently.
Nannette Stamm, director of Vista Community Clinic health promotion center, said Vista Community Clinic has not notified members on the new management agreement, or the anticipated opening date.
As of June 16, no signage is posted to inform members when it will reopen.
“We just took it over from the previous fiscal agency,” Stamm said. “It didn’t happen as smoothly as it could have.”
Vista Community Clinic has two clinics in close proximity to the fitness club, which is housed in the Junior Seau Center on Country Club Lane.
Stamm said the clinic would be looking for ways to further integrate the fitness club into its wellness services.
Right now the focus is on reopening the facility for seniors and community members to work out.
“We’re hopeful paperwork will be completed this week,” Stamm said.
Club 55 has three rooms of cardio equipment, free weights and exercise machines.
Current fitness club memberships will be honored through July 1. Then, continuing and new members will be charged the ongoing annual fee of $55 to use the club.
“We’re happy to be partnering with the city of Oceanside and Boys & Girls Club,” Stamm said. “We’ll be opening very soon and apologize for any gap in service.”
Club 55 is scheduled to reopen June 23. Hours of operation will be from 7 to 11 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
