Pool should meet needs

Let’s hope local elected officials can find creative solutions to maximize public benefit as they move toward building and operating top quality aquatics facilities. Common community interests transcend political jurisdictions. Obligations to constituents require that finite resources be allocated efficiently and equitably in addressing community needs.

Imagine if, after investing millions of dollars in aquatic facilities, we do not end up with modern facilities capable of hosting competitive swim meets and water polo here in the Upper Valley.

Mount Si High School competes in 4A. They continue to achieve success including recent state appearances in soccer, football, cheer and basketball. I believe our community holds an expectation that aquatics facilities should support the high school hosting swim meets, in addition to recreational pool space for families and kids and older folk, when they are built.

The Si View Metro Park District is taking a comprehensive approach in addressing the aquatics needs of our community. Gathering of community input was followed by a needs assessment survey in 2017, and recently professionals were hired to perform an Aquatic Feasibility Study to assess the regional demand for aquatics, including market analysis. Preliminary results, available on the Si View Parks website, suggest that to build aquatics facilities that meet the needs of our growing communities the Park District would need a partner, or two. Alone the Park District would be capable of financing a beautiful recreational pool with many of the amenities already identified by community members in public hearings. However, without partners it seems likely that neither the pool Mayor Matt Larson has proposed to build for the YMCA on the Ridge, or a regional Aquatics Facility built by the Park District, would include a pool capable of hosting swim meets. Imagine.

Mark Joselyn

North Bend