SNOHOMISH — The Snohomish School District has abandoned its top pick for a new aquatics center because it feared parking would spill off site and bother neighbors and businesses.
District leaders hoped the center could be built on the site of the former Hal Moe Memorial Pool, 405 Third St. Hal Moe pool closed permanently in 2007 because of major structural and safety issues.
The center would have been beside the Averill Youth Complex, a city-owned park next to the Boys & Girls Club that includes a skateboard park and a playground.
“We really tried hard,” said schools’ Superintendent Bill Mester. “We gave it our best shot. We tried slanting, shaping and turning the pool (designs) but that didn’t generate any more parking.”
The district is turning its attention to a second site: the former Snohomish Freshman Campus, 601 Glen St., which is now being used as a temporary campus for students from Riverview and Machias elementary schools.
Several land-use issues, such as parking, wetlands, water lines and traffic, will be studied over the next few weeks.
“I don’t believe any of these is a deal-breaker or fatal flaw,” Mester said.
The aquatics center was part of a $261 million bond measure voters approved in 2008. Most of the money goes to improving existing schools. District officials expect the pool project to cost about $26 million, including $18.7 million for construction.
The center, which is being designed for community use, will include a competition pool, a recreational pool and a therapy pool. How large the building will be has not been determined.
One of the biggest hurdles is designing a facility that the district can afford to operate once it opens, said Steve Moore, project manager for the aquatic center.
“That’s the real challenging part,” he said.
City officials have been working with the district on the project. Planning director Corbitt Loch said the move to a new site has some clear advantages.
“The Maple Avenue campus certainly has much more land,” Loch said. “That provides a great deal more of flexibility in terms of creating the design.”
The pool will lose some visibility by being moved to the more remote site, but some say that will not hurt the facility.
Councilwoman Karen Guzak was briefed about the pool Tuesday with the rest of the City Council. She said visibility isn’t a great concern.
“A pool is a destination site,” she said. “If you’re taking your kids to a swim meet or a swim lesson, you know where you’re going to go.”
The big question now will be the fate of the Hal Moe site itself, Guzak said. She suggested it could be turned into a park or other public facility.
“There’s going to be lots of discussion, no doubt about it, about what goes up,” she said.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.
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