Metro Parks held a meeting regarding the current status of Kandle Park and a proposed swimming pool on May 28. The event was held for public comment and review about progress of plans for the project, and so that neighbors who will be directly affected by the changes can stay involved.
Project Manager Curtis Hancock and Lois Stark, chief planner for Metro Parks, were on hand to guide the meeting and give a brief overview of plans for the project while simultaneously fielding audience questions.
Stark laid out a timeline for the project as of now.
“Our plan is to take one year to design (the park and pool) and one year to build,” she said. “Right now we are in the master planning stage, and between now and October we will be deciding on programs that will take place at the location.”
Designs for the area would be completed in 2010 with construction in 2011.
Stark affirmed that this project is not only owned by Metro Parks, but also by Tacoma Public Schools, and involves the police station and the Boys and Girls Club that occupy spaces near the park. “We want to make it better for the neighborhood,” Stark remarked.
Metro Parks Commission directed Stark and Hancock to continue on with the master planning process in conjunction with the public in order to plan the project, which will include one recreational, not competition-style pool. It is set to be a leisure pool, and Stark and Hancock displayed a rendering of the Stewart Heights Pool as an example of what the future Kandle Pool could look like. Stark encouraged the public present at the meeting to check out Stewart Heights when it opens June 20 to think about possible problems - such as parking, noise and other issues - that they could discuss during these public planning meetings. Stark affirmed that the people with a vested interest in the matter should voice their opinions about the project in order to improve the area.
A separate process is available for those interested in bringing a competition-style pool to Kandle in lieu of the leisure type one now being planned, and a task force is currently being created. Stark affirmed that bringing a 50-meter pool will attract people from other cities to the area, so a larger coalition will be needed to plan for it.
Hancock stated the budget for the project is currently $6.2 million, with an additional $450,000 set aside for other aspects of the project.
One individual present at the meeting was concerned that a leisure pool would not work for adults and expressed interest in having a Titlow Park-style (50-meter) pool, and Stark affirmed that this was the exact type of feedback Metro Parks is searching for during the planning stages for the pool.
Architects with the Seattle-based firm SHKS Architects, who are currently working on the project, were also in attendance at the information session. David Strauss, a partner in SHKS, said that the park improvement project lets them look at the site and see what it needs. He outlined three aspects of this process: first, athletics, to see if the current facilities are still working or if they need upgrades; second, community centers; third, aquatics, which are capital-intensive and need lots of study.
“One of the main questions regarding aquatics is lap versus leisure pool, and our intent is to hear from the public and steering committees about the topic,” Strauss said.
One other topic of discussion at the meeting was the potential of building a skate park in Kandle, and many neighbors came to show their support and desire for this type of structure to be erected at their park.
If individuals interested in the future of Kandle Park and its pool were not able to attend the meeting, updates will be available at www.metroparkstacoma.org.
A series of meetings regarding Kandle will take place on the fourth Thursday of every month at the Boys and Girls Club located at 5136 N. 26th St. at 6 p.m. Individuals may also e-mail Hancock directly at curtish@tacomaparks.com.
