Aquatic club officials, inspired by a new study that prices renovating and covering the Island’s only public pool at $1.8 million, plan to seek community support in their endeavor to turn the popular pool into a year-round facility.
The head of Wallover Architects told the Vashon Park District and Vashon Aquatic Club boards Tuesday that the Vashon Public Pool and adjoining bathhouse are “in very good condition.” They have been maintained impeccably by King County since their construction 33 years ago, said Edwin Wallover.
The typical life span for a community pool is 25 years, he noted, so the facility will eventually need updating. Still, neither the pool nor the bathhouse had any structural deficiencies due to their age, he said.
For a little less than $1.8 million, the pool could be renovated, a new pool filtration system could be enstated and a retractable roof could be installed atop the pool, Wallover said. And for $1.9 million, all the same improvements could be made and a concession stand, kiddy pool and family changing room could be added to the facility.
While the price tag may seem hefty, the costs are moderate, proponents of the project say. Construction of a new, similarly sized outdoor pool would cost $650,000, Wallover said, while renovating the existing pool will cost $350,000.
“If you take the cost of a project like that and you spread it over the entire range of the people on the Island who might use it, it seems like a reasonable cost,” said Travis Shaw, president of Vashon Aquatic Club. “Think about who might use it: seniors, young children, teens. It’s a healthy activity that’s fun. This seems like a really good investment for the community,” he added.
The Aquatic Club operates Vashon’s Seals Swim Team, a year-round club sport that practices in the Vashon Public Pool during the summer and in Vashon Athletic Club’s pool the rest of the year.
Former aquatic club president Gary Gray secured the $10,000 needed to carry out the pool study from King County in 2006 and has been a longtime part of the swimming community on the Island.
“I think what we heard is that in order for pools to survive these days, they’ve got to have services that meet the community’s needs,” he said. “If you look at Vashon, there’d a lot of need here: more space for the swim team, more space for senior swimmers, more space for masters swimmers. … The discussions are going to have to continue.”
The 52 athletes of the Seals Swim Team would benefit “tremendously” if the Vashon Public Pool were covered, he said.
“The amount of space that we have there — the additional three lanes, the additional five yards in each lane — plus the ability to do diving block starts, is a huge difference,” he said of the larger outdoor public pool.
The public pool is operated by King County Parks; the aquatic club is an independently operated Vashon Park District program not affiliated with the athletic club.
Park officials said the ball is in the swim community’s court. It’s up to them to drum up support for the ambitious pool endeavor, said board member Kristin Pesman.
Proponents of covering the pool said they’re optimistic. The pool, said Shaw, is “a jewel.”
“lt’s in great shape, and the cost to cover it won’t be that great compared to starting new,” he said. “What we’d like to start doing is talk with people in the community who would be constituents of a large public pool … and try to put together support for some kind of public project.”
