Clintonville releases timeline, plan for swimming pond
By Bert Lehman
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Clintonville residents learned about the swimming pond’s construction timeline at a presentation Feb. 21.
Ald. Steve Kettenhoven, chair of the Clintonville Parks and Rec Committee, shared the city’s vision for the facility.
The vision for the facility is: “The Clintonville Community Pond will provide a versatile and inclusive facility that brings Clintonville and neighboring communities together to experience outdoor activities every season of the year.”
Kettenhoven said winter activities at the swimming pond include:ice skating, rental space for parties, ice fishing, ice sports like hockey and broom ball, and remote-control car ice racing.
Sledding could also be done at the pond.
Summer activities include swimming, kayaking, rental space for parties and gatherings, swim lessons and fishing and fishing lessons.
The pond would include inflatable courses and a water slide. Clintonville High School and CAST could use the facility for swim practice and training.
The missing pool
Clintonville has not had an outdoor swimming facility since the pool closed in 2016 after a fire severely damaged one of its buildings in December 2015.
Prior to that, the swimming pool had been in operation for 55 years, said Justin Mc Auly, director of the Parks and Recreation and Public Works departments.
Mc Auly said attendance at the outdoor swimming pool averaged 20,090 per year from 1975-2002. Average attendance was 8,866 per year from 2003-2013. In 2003, the CHS Rec Center opened an indoor pool.
“I think a lot of this may be due to an aging pool,” Mc Auly said. “At that time the pool was 42 years old.”
Attendance records for 2014 and 2015 were destroyed in the fire at the pool, Mc Auly said.
Mc Auly said that according to a community vote in 2019, 48% of those who voted were in favor of a swimming pond, 29% were in favor of a concrete pool, and 23% didn’t want any type of swimming facility.
Not having an outdoor swimming facility took opportunities away from attendees of youth tournaments, created a lack of physical activities for the youth in the community, and overall created low community pride, Mc Auly said.
“There was a feeling of community loss and unsure of what that meant for the community,” Mc Auly said. “This pool sat vacant for many years after the fire, and the community didn’t know what was going on with that pool.”
Pond highlights
Kelly Trebus, a downtown business owner, described the benefits of a swimming pond included inflatables, large sand beach area, more affordable capital purchasing, ADA entry and zero entry, no harsh chemicals and eco-friendly, and a new attraction to enhance the city’s park system.
“There aren’t a lot of these (swimming ponds) and the ones that there are, in all the research we’ve done, they’re very well received,” Trebus said. “So, it’s something different and it definitely will bring in people, not only from Clintonville, Marion and all the local areas.”
She said the closest swimming pond to Clintonville is in Shiocton.
A swimming pond would supply a safe place for all ages to swim, sunbath, exercise, play, and make memories, Trebus said.
Kettenhoven said the community shelter that is planned at the swimming pond could be rented out for aparties. The building will have bathrooms and could be used as a warming shelter in the winter. The building would also include a concession area and office.
The inflatables that would be part of the swimming pond would be designed for separate things, Trebus said.
One area would be for older kids, which would include a trampoline and a climbing tower. A separate area of inflatables for younger kids would be located near shallow water.
The facility would also include an area of other activities for families while they attend ball tournaments at Bucholtz Park.
“This is the most cost-effective option compared to a concrete pool,” Trebus said.
Cost
Mc Auly said construction of a swimming pond would be $1.5 million.
The annual budget to operate a swimming pond would be about $70,000 per year. In comparison, the last year the outdoor swimming pool was in operation, the operating budget was around $57,000, Mc Auly said.
He added that the swimming pool from 1978-2013 generated revenue equal to 34% of the expenditures for the pool.
“Swimming pools typically do not make all your money back. It’s a service for the community,” Mc Auly said.
With more revenue opportunities at the swimming pond, Mc Auly said the city hopes to increase the amount of revenue generated by the facility.
He added that equipment replacement for a swimming pond is generally less than that of a concrete swimming pool.
Funding
City Administrator Caz Muske said the Clintonville Common Council agreed last year that the $1.5 million would be borrowed to construct the swimming pond.
“However, the city is looking to apply for the CDBG funding, which is a grant program that we’ve historically applied to every two years,” Muske said. “And we’re hoping to be awarded in the summer, $1 million, which will then open up capital borrowing funds to go to other means within the community.”
She saidt future fundraising would be used to keep the facility operating. This could include sponsorships for additional inflatables, sponsors for other amenities, fundraising by engaging events, and entity “naming rights.”
Project timeline
Muske reiterated that the city council is supportive of the swimming pond project, and it is already implemented in the city budget and future capital expenses.
The project will be bid out and awarded in the spring.
“The council will basically award to the certain lowest bidder for the contract of the construction of the project,” Muske said.
The city will submit its CDBG application in May, and will hopefully be notified in July about being awarded the grant funds.
Another informational meeting for the public would be held in August.
Construction of the swimming pond would start in the summer of 2023. Muske said project construction could start in 2022 if the city is not awarded CDBG funding.