Here’s my view of the city decision to re-open the city pool at Centennial Park. Good job city council!
The Paso Robles City Council voted earlier this month to take the steps necessary to open Centennial Pool for the summer in 2016. With the city looking to restore some of the services lost during the Great Recession, this an excellent first step.
It will mean more summertime activities for local residents: more swim lessons, aquatics classes for adults, and play time for local youth. Based on a city report, opening the pool will mean 1,743 lessons with 8,717 swims; 6,076 swims for general entry; and teaching swimming and basic water survival skills for five days to all eighth graders at Daniel Lewis Middle School.
It won’t be soon enough for this summer, but it’s still a great move. The reason it is going to take so long to open the pool is because the city needs at least six months to prepare for and complete ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance upgrades. The total cost of the rehab is expected to be over $500,000.
Those concerned about using water for a pool during a drought will be relieved to learn that swimming pools use about half as much water as lawn, according to a report from Stanford University. That might even be less when when the pool is responsibly covered, like it is now at Centennial Park.
Having safe summertime activities and teaching lifesaving swimming skills is critical for our community and a worthwhile investment. We applaud the city council for their action.