After outcry over Merriam pool, council votes to bump up size. But some still unhappy

For many longtime Merriam residents, the essence of summer has been hanging out at the 50-meter Vavra Park community pool that they consider the best in Johnson County, with its high-dive board and children’s play area.

So when they found out recently that the new $30 million community center and aquatics center would lead to a smaller outdoor pool with no high-dive board, they felt blindsided over what they considered to be a broken promise from the city.

Tina Cheatham and several other residents complained Monday to the City Council that reducing the outdoor pool wasn’t explained in campaign materials before voters approved the community center sales tax in 2016. That center will be built in Vavra Park, between Ikea Way and Slater Street.

While the city plans to add an indoor pool, gymnasium, fitness area, walking track, classrooms, party room and other amenities, Cheatham told the city council, “That doesn’t mean you should take away from the people who enjoy outdoor swimming.”

Council members were clearly concerned about the public frustration Monday night. They voted 6-2 for a compromise that provides an eight-lane, 25-yard pool and increased pool area with children’s play features and two diving boards, although it still won’t equal the current pool size or include a high dive.

And it will increase the budget by $1.6 million.

“I want to see more water,” Councilman Scott Diebold said in proposing the compromise to address the public angst. He was joined by council members Christine Hands, Nancy Hupp, Robert Weems, Brian Knaff and Bob Pape.

About $1 million of that additional budget would come from a tax-increment financing district that encompasses the area around the community center. City staffers said they are confident they can find the additional $600,000 from other funding sources.

The city’s aquatics expert, Justin Caron, a principal with Aquatic Design Group, told the council that the indoor pool can be a terrific year-round attraction, especially with its lazy river, therapy pool and other features. Meanwhile, he said, the outdoor pool is only used for about three months and by a smaller segment of the population.

“There are portions of your community that won’t use your current pool,” he said, adding that 25 yards is standard now, not 50 meters.

Several residents praised the city Monday night and said they were excited about the indoor pool and other community center amenities, which they didn’t want hindered by outdoor pool concerns.

Council members David Neal and Al Frisby opposed the compromise proposal. They wanted a more ambitious plan that would have added $2.25 million to the budget and enhanced the outdoor pool even more, including a separate diving well. But the majority felt that would bust the budget.

Neal lamented that original cost estimates didn’t take into account inflation and unforeseen site preparation costs. Those adjustments have driven the cost up by nearly $3 million, he said, and the casualty for those overruns was the outdoor pool.

Several people had urged the council to slow down and take more time to ensure they have the right plan.

“I think you could do a lot better,” Fred Tebbenkamp told council members. “Don’t rush. Take the time.”

But Assistant City Administrator Meredith Hauck said there is a time crunch. She said the city staff and architects needed a vote by Monday night in order to be able to complete plans for a City Plan Commission meeting Sept. 5. That would allow the city to keep to a construction schedule with a targeted opening date of summer 2020.

Councilwoman Hupp said that regardless of size, the new pools will be major improvements, especially with new lockers to replace the existing ones that she described as “dismal” and “pathetic.”

The public can get an update on the latest plans at a meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 30 at Merriam City Hall, 9001 W. 6nd St.

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 4:44 PM with the headline "After outcry over Merriam pool, council votes to bump up size. But some still unhappy."