HomeMy WebLinkAbout120723 email PoolALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
I'm writing to share my 2 cents on the (Port Townsend) pool after taking in the opinions from others comments after the recent BOCC meeting.
I had the benefit of learning to swim in the Short Farm pool like a lot of the children in the region in the mid-90s (which I believe was the timeframe of peak enrollment at Chimacum
school district). I do not know how many children learned to swim through this time but my recollection was that it was often well attended, especially for being located in the rural
county area.
As a Chimacum resident, when the time came to teach my nephew to swim in the early 2010s, we looked into Port Townsend pool but decided to go to Sequim as it was not that much further
a drive and they also had the warm shallow kid's pool.
I understand the need for the PT pool to be replaced, and I understand the need and benefit for a pool/aquatic facility to our region. I just do not feel that the Public Facilities
District is a good option nor is the rush and cost to put it on the ballot this spring for potential grant funding.
When we moved to Port Ludlow a few years ago, having access to a pool was a huge deciding factor to my family. My mother has utilized the pool for rehab after two knee surgeries and
my nephew and his friends have spent many hours enjoying the pool. I do have to pay annual dues to support the amenities but I moved here knowing that in advance. As cost of living
continues to rise, and my HOA dues increase to pay for the maintenance costs of our community assets, I do not want to pay for a regional pool that I along with most of the Port Ludlow
MPR community (North Bay having an indoor and outdoor pool and South Bay an indoor pool) as well as many South and West county residents will never utilize and will likely also choose
to not support on the ballot.
I would also say that if Port Townsend/Chimacum school district plan to continue their partnership for sports, that a central location would benefit all the student athletes. When the
PT Manager and Parks Director mentioned school districts, I'm assuming it is only Port Townsend due to their land. With the participation of the County, have they done any outreach
to the other school districts in the County? With Chimacum also planning to put a levy on the ballot in February, this will be another tax that our district will have to pay and I
feel the school taxes have a greater benefit than the pool.
I question the cost of the public showers, and their inclusion in this project if said showers will need an additional organization to manage the operations. I wonder what monetary support
Jefferson Healthcare will be providing, as I did not see anything in the presentation. Are these most recent proposals what Port Townsend would have put together if they alone were
to pay for it or are they making these decisions assuming Jefferson County and/or the residents will be paying for it?
I'm sure I could detail many other items of concern but the consensus of them all is that this does not seem like a very well thought out plan that the county should support as it has
been currently presented.
Best regards,
Jessie Short
Port Ludlow, WA