More than 30 years ago, members of the Mendocino Coast Community dreamed of building a new pool for everyone to enjoy. In 1978, using Park Bond Act monies, MCRPD obtained a five-acre parcel known as Green Memorial Field in central Fort Bragg. After years of fundraising and some major donations from local resident, Harry Spath, and the Starr Foundation, construction began in 2006. In August of 2009, the C.V. Starr Community Center and Sigrid and Harry Spath Aquatic Facility opened to the public, and the dream had finally become reality. It is home to two pools, fitness and dance rooms, conference rooms and the MCRPD business offices.

In March, 2012 the City of Fort Bragg partnered with MCRPD, and with the passage of Measure A, the C.V. Starr Center Operation and Maintenance was fully funded by the half-cent sales tax. The C.V. Starr Center is owned by the City of Fort Bragg and operated by the MCRPD in accordance with an Operating Agreement between the two entities. The District Administrator, an MCRPD employee who reports directly to the MCRPD Board, is responsible for day-to-day administration of the C.V. Starr Center, and the MCRPD Board is responsible for key policy decisions. The Fort Bragg City Council adopts the annual operating budget for the Center and establishes the fee schedule. Together with the MCRPD, the City is responsible for ensuring that the Center operates in a fiscally sustainable manner.