EDMONDS — Yost Pool should be replaced with a new outdoor recreation pool and an indoor lap and wellness pool at the same location, a consultant is expected to recommend tonight to the Edmonds City Council.
To do so, Edmonds homeowners would need to agree to raise their taxes.
“Clearly, if we’re going to do any of those options, we’d have to go to a vote of the people to raise those funds,” Mayor Gary Haakenson said.
The City Council is scheduled today to review a report that looks at six options for a new swim center. Tonight’s meeting begins at 7 p.m.
Yost Pool, the only public outdoor swimming facility in Snohomish County south of Everett, was nearly forced to close in June because of a $1 million shortfall in the city’s sales tax revenue.
Closing the pool would have cut $80,000 to $120,000 from city expenses. Other cuts, including furloughs, are expected to save the city about $600,000.
However, a community effort raised $54,000 in less than a month, allowing the facility to remain open from June 1 through Aug. 30. Yost Pool is usually open Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Meanwhile, the city was already conducting a study on the pool needs for the community having hired consultant NAC Architecture last year.
A city survey earlier this year showed overwhelming support to keep Yost Pool and to build a new indoor pool, the report says.
The consultant studied other spots around Edmonds for a pool including the former Woodway High School and the antique mall near the waterfront.
Yost Park is the preferred location, the report says. Budgets for five of the options range from $5 million for simply renovating Yost Pool to spending nearly $22 million for indoor-only lap and recreation pools with a “lazy river” and other water features at Yost Park. The sixth option would be to do nothing.
The report recommends a middle ground approach spending $16.7 million to build an indoor lap and and warm-water wellness pool plus build a new outdoor recreation pool at Yost Park. The consultant also suggests that the city could spend just $8.2 million for outdoor-only lap and recreation pools.
Another option involves a public-private partnership between Harbor Square Athletic Club and the city that would allow public use of the club’s indoor pool along with Yost Pool.
The outdoor-only option would cost an average homeowner $35.51 a year in new property taxes, the report says. The most expensive concept, with a nearly $22 million budget, would cost the average homeowner $95.40 a year in additional property taxes.
Dick Van Hollebecke, who served on an aquatics advisory committee, said there will be two main issues for the council to consider.
“First is what the citizens of the city would support,” he said. “The other thing — and this will be a big deal to the City Council — is operations and maintenance.”
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com
Six options
A consultant came up with six options on the city’s future needs for swimming pools after two public meetings:
n Reuse existing outdoor lap pool and build a outdoor recreation pool at Yost Park; cost: $8.2 million
n Demolish existing pool and build new indoor only lap and recreation pools at Yost Park; cost: $21.9 million
n Demolish existing pool and build a lap pool, warm-water wellness pool and whirlpool at Yost Park; cost: $16.7 million
n Partner with Harbor Square Athletic Club for indoor pool and small outdoor pool and keep an outdoor lap and recreation pool at Yost Park; cost $17.4 million
n Renovate Yost Pool; cost $5 million
n No change; cost: $80,000 to $100,000 to replaster the pool by 2011.
The study can be found at http://tinyurl.com/kwb8nl. Click on the Aug. 25 agenda.
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