The Merrill Park & Recreation Commission held a public hearing last Wednesday to gather input on the prospective location of a new outdoor pool. Three potential locations are being considered: the MARC, Stange’s Park and Streeter Square. About 20 members of the public attended the hearing.
“We wanted to focus on the location,” said Merrill Park & Recreation Director Dan Wendorf. “That will determine quite a bit how we proceed from here.”
Panels with pictures of the proposed design and a list of all the advantages and inconveniences of the three places were presented at the Council chamber. Also, a digital picture of where the pool would be, viewed from above was added to this list to create a better image.
Wendorf explained the purpose of building the new pool. Faced with the cost of meeting federal mandates to make the city’s 45-year-old outdoor pool compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, along with making needed repairs to the pool itself, the commission last fall that money would be better spent on a new facility.
“What brought us to do this is the decision of the government to make a handicap accessible pool,” he said.
Melody Hamlin of the city’s engineering consultant Becher Hoppe showed the panels and summarized the possibilities of building it at each place.
The proposed pool would cover 17,675 square feet. The proposed facility offers features such as zero entry and splash pad area, a wading pool, 5 full size lap lanes and 2 diving board areas. In addition, it would have 4,500 feet of pool facility, spacious and secure locker rooms with a private family changing area and showers. Lifeguard and first aid services would be available too. Any concessions would be accessible from the pool deck.
“We wanted to go with something as multi-use as possible,” Wendorf said. “We want to build a nice facility that will be attractive to our citizens and bring people in from outside the community.”
Everybody seemed to agree with these properties of the pool, but the choice about where to build it was a little bit tougher, because of some of the same advantages and inconveniences at different places. The three sites can be served by public transit and they are located near bike or pedestrian trials, but both Stange’s Park and Streeter Square are centrally located and near EMS and fire stations, unlike the MARC. This is an advantage for a possible expansion (of the parking, the pool or other amenities). In addition, the MARC and Stange’s Park have existing parking.
Nevertheless, if the pool was built at the MARC or Streeter Square, it would require investment at the former pool site at Stange’s Park. Also, Street Square is in a more visible area, lending itself to self-policing, but has greater traffic concerns.
At the MARC, the pool would be constructed north of the Smith Center. The MARC presented quite a list of advantages: it’s a high impact site because of the active park use, so its current users might become pool users, and it is near to Council Grounds State Park. It also offers some cost savings, including relatively lower excavation costs and maintenance (least leaf debris). But the inconveniences of the site revealed themselves as a worrying factor among the public. The MARC is more distant from residential areas, an advantage because of less noise or disturbance, but more difficult to reach for walkers and bikers.
Some members of the public expressed their concerns with the site.
“It’s already difficult to park at the MARC for soccer games. It would be even more difficult because of the pool,” said Alderman Dave Sukow.
Stange’s Park looked like the favorite site to build for many people. Community familiarity and proximity to other facilities (Athletic Park, Lions Park, the library, Kitchenette Park or Prairie River Middle School) and area amenities (nearby activities for parents while children are visiting the pool) are a plus. It conforms to the city’s outdoor recreation plan and there is less pedestrian interaction. Plus, the construction and demolition would happen at one location. The only inconveniences are that the pool is located within the flood plan, making construction more complex and costly because of the excavation costs. As a limited expansion area, the basketball court could be eliminated.
The last option was Streeter Square: more walking visitors likely and close to area amenities and downtown. The proximity to residential areas makes it more visible and self policing more likely. Despite these possibilities, there are parking limitations offsite. The pool doesn’t really fit with the existing park character and it has relatively higher excavation costs. Disturbance might be a problem since is close to residential areas.
More opinions were heard after the presentation.
“It should be at the center of the city,” said Steve Hass, President of the city’s Common Council. “Therefore, we would have an equal distance from the east and the west of town. Stange’s Park or Streeter Square are the best options.”
Dave Johnson, city administrator, also gave his opinion: “My 10 year old daughter doesn’t care about where we build the pool. She just says that we need to do it!” He insisted that distance and the pool as an attraction of the city were very important. “It should be downtown, close to the families. It attracts all kinds of people. And they want more; they love water parks, slides… That is why we need to build a new one, which would be more likely for everybody.”
“I’m here because of my grandchildren, who miss the opportunity to swim,” said resident Don Heyel. “You have one opportunity to make it the best in Merrill. I know it will cost more if it’s built at the center of the city, but it’s a long service.”
“I’d like to see the swimming pool at Stange’s Park. I think it is something very important, that the city really needs to do,” said resident Mary Ball. “It gives life to the city.”
Of those who spoke at the hearing, Stange’s Park was the most popular option, leaving Streeter Square as the second preferable choice and the MARC as the least liked proposition.
Wendorf said he’d like to see the location determined by the end of this year or early next year. The Park & Recreation Commission is planning to launch a capital campaign to raise money for the new pool.
“Before we can raise funds, we’re going to need a solid plan,” Wendorf said.
A survey seeking input on the pool site is currently available on the Park & Recreation Department web site at www.merrillparkandrec.com. Citizens are encouraged to fill out the survey and return it to the Park & Recreation Department.