When trees were ripped up around the city pool Wednesday, some Woodward citizens began to fear that the pool itself was next despite comments made by the city manager Monday to the contrary.
However, City Manager Alan Riffel confirmed Wednesday that “at this point, the decision that was earlier made to tear out the pool, because it was always a part of the master plan to tear out the pool, that has been stopped.”
Riffel said crews were removing the trees around the pool to make way for a parking lot that will go forward as planned except that it will be shortened so that “it is not going to encroach upon the embankment of the pool.”
“It won’t be threatening the stability of the pool,” he said, noting that the pool will remain intact until a determination is made by the Woodward City Commission “one way or the other.”
“I think the commission has recognized that there are concerns about it,” Riffel said.
In fact, some of those concerns were aired by city commissioners during their regular meeting Monday evening.
“One thing to consider is where are we going to get our future lifeguards if that pool is not available to train them,” City Commissioner Gary Goetzinger said Monday as he pointed to the fact that in order to be certified, lifeguards must know how to dive properly to a depth of at least nine feet.
The deepest area of water in the aquatics park is only five feet.
However, Riffel responded by noting that lifeguard training is also conducted at the pools in Boiling Springs and Mooreland. He also noted that even with a maximum depth of only five feet, the Red Cross can still conduct swimming lessons up to levels one and two at the aquatics center.
But there are still concerns about adult and teenage use, Riffel said on Monday. On Wednesday, he added that the pool “may serve another purpose” and noted that rather than demolition, the future of the pool may be to enclose it and make it available year-round.
But whether the pool is enclosed, left as is or demolished, is a determination that will only be made after extensive study and consideration, Riffel said.
These considerations will include not only a cost-benefit analysis, he said, but also investigation into the “type of experience in other communities” that have faced similar situations.
In fact, the city manager said that he has “become aware of a community in Texas and a community in Colorado that have both done this (an enclosure process) with existing pools.
“I will be visiting with officials in those communities to see what they’ve done,” he said, noting that he will also be asking about what challenges and problems they have faced as well as the benefits they have received by enclosing their pools.
Another important factor that will play in determining the future of the pool will be public input, Riffel said, assuring “that’s to be part of the considerations.”
Those wishing to voice their concerns about the pool may contact any city commissioner.
However, whether it is the cost-benefit analysis, speaking with officials in other cities or public input, “it’ll take a little time to get that information together,” the city manager said.
In fact, he said he is not anticipating that a decision will be made about the pool until after the summer swimming season is over, meaning that the pool, which has already been closed this season, likely won’t be reopened this year at least.
“There is a lot to consider and the commissioners need due time to make those considerations,” Riffel said, promising that the issue “will be thought out with due deliberation.”
