In mid-October, the work behind the fenced deck at 26887 Recodo Lane was mostly tile and machinery. City recreation staff told the Community Services Commission that tile work was nearly finished, pool equipment was being replaced, and crews were repairing a crack they had found in the bottom of the pool. The deck and playground at Sierra Recreation Center have been closed since Tuesday, September 8. The city's estimate was about 12 weeks of work, with a tentative finish by Thanksgiving weekend.
Thanksgiving falls on November 26, three weeks from this Thursday. When the gate opens, most swimmers will see a pool that looks like the one they remember with a fresh finish. Most of the money went to equipment, and most of that equipment sits out of sight. The project that will change how people use Sierra is on the other side of the building, at the courts. Its bids came back higher than expected this fall.
What $840,533 bought at the pool
On March 24, 2026, the City Council approved the pool plans and authorized bidding, with a staff request for $1.75 million in funds. Two months later, on May 26, the council awarded the construction contract to California Waters Development, Inc. for up to $840,533. The construction contract comes to less than half of the funds requested in March.
The bid specifications in the March 24 agenda packet list the work. Here it is, split by what a swimmer will see and what sits in the equipment room:
- In the water and on the deck: new pool plaster and tile finishes, new drain grates, and deck equipment.
- Behind the walls: replacement pool and spa mechanical equipment, above-ground piping, valves, electrical equipment, controls and connections.
- Around the equipment room: a replacement chemical-storage shed, new finishes and doors, and new equipment pads.
Pool and spa heaters were listed as a separately priced bid alternate. Whether that alternate was part of the awarded price has not been published. Sierra reopens just as the weather turns cool, so that is a fair question to ask at the front desk.
The specifications do not call for rebuilding the playground or replacing the water slide. An electrical schedule lists a circuit for the slide pump, but nothing in the documents says the slide itself is being replaced. Families who go straight to the slide should expect the same one.
The crack, and why the date held
A pool that has been in use for decades can hide problems until it is drained, and Sierra had one. At the October commission meeting, commissioners asked about the timing after staff mentioned the crack in the pool bottom. Citizen Portal reported that Mark Nicks of the recreation staff answered this way:
"But we're still on track to finish before Thanksgiving in the pool and all the equipment is being replaced."
The schedule is now better than the original plan. The March staff report expected the pool to be finished in December 2026. The city's Aquatics page later moved the target to Thanksgiving weekend, and the October update kept it there even after the crack turned up. Before Thanksgiving is still a target, so check the city's Aquatics page before you pack a swim bag.
The courts are where Sierra changes shape
The second Sierra project is a rebuild, unlike the pool work. On August 18, the Community Services Commission recommended a conceptual design for the tennis courts. City staff had decided that replacing the whole concrete court pad was the best long-term fix for courts that had worn down over time. That means tearing out the old surface and pad, pouring new concrete, and adding new surfacing, fencing, nets and striping.
The layout would change too. The August 18 commission record describes four permanent pickleball courts plus one tennis court with two pickleball overlays, for up to six pickleball games at once. Sierra would keep one dedicated tennis court. Two written comments were entered at that meeting. One came from a Laguna Niguel player who said she has played pickleball at Sierra for more than five years. She supported the plan and liked that the new courts will face the same direction as the current ones. The other came from a Mission Viejo resident who asked the city to stop patching the old courts.
Here is how far the court project has gotten:
| Step | Date | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual design | August 18, 2026 | Commission recommended the four-pickleball, one-tennis layout |
| Plans and bidding | August 25, 2026 | City Council approved plans and specifications and authorized bids |
| Bids due | October 7, 2026 | Solicitation closed on BidNet |
| Bid results | October 20, 2026 commission meeting | Staff said bids came in higher than expected |
| Contract award | Not yet published | No award, final layout or closure dates announced |
The bid results are the reason to watch. The Citizen Portal summary of the October 20 meeting says the pickleball and tennis bids came in higher than expected, and that current funding does not allow adding two extra courts now. The city has not said which two courts those are or how the deferral changes the August layout. Until the council awards a contract, the six-game design is a plan, and the final court count could be smaller.
The pool and the courts are also on different schedules. The pool targets late November. The city's Capital Improvement Projects page shows the Sierra court work finishing in Winter 2027. Sierra could reopen its pool and close its courts within a few months of each other. No closure dates for the courts have been announced.
Where to swim and play until then
During the pool work, the city kept the rest of Sierra open and pointed swimmers to another center. According to the Aquatics page:
- Sierra courts: tennis, basketball and pickleball are open during regular hours.
- Sierra gym: open during regular hours.
- Montanoso Recreation Center: the pool and gym are open to all recreation and pickleball members for the length of the project.
Questions about the closure go to [email protected] or 949-859-4348.
The membership tiers matter once the courts close, because each one covers different sites. The city's memberships page lists three relevant options:
- Recreation Center Memberships: Montanoso and Sierra
- Pickleball Memberships: Felipe and Sierra
- All Centers: Montanoso, Sierra, Felipe and Marguerite
A Pickleball membership already includes Felipe. If Sierra's courts close for the rebuild, Felipe is the other court site in that same tier. Both residents and nonresidents can buy memberships. To buy at the resident rate, bring a current utility bill or car registration, because the city does not accept a driver's license as proof of residency.
What to watch through Thanksgiving week
Three things will settle Sierra's next year:
- The reopening announcement. Watch the Aquatics page as Thanksgiving weekend gets closer. That page posted the original closure notice.
- The heater question. Heaters were a separate line in the bid, so ask staff once the pool reopens whether they were replaced along with the rest of the equipment.
- A court contract on a City Council agenda. The award item will show the final court layout and the closure window. Agendas are posted on the city's OnBase Agenda Online portal.
The reopened pool will cover your lap swims this winter. For a pickleball player, the date to watch is whenever the council takes up the court contract.
If you live near Recodo Lane and want to know where your home stands before the court work starts, get your instant home valuation from Molly Mentaberry. We'll go over the numbers with you and keep an eye on the Sierra schedule as it changes.
