A pool supporter kindly offered to share her strong letter.  It’s an inspiration:

Dear Council and Committee Members:

I am writing to strongly urge you to invest in the health and well-being of Seattle citizens by including the development of at least one new warm water therapy pool in the Seattle Parks levy.  

Warm water (88-94 degree) therapy pools are in dire need in our community.  They are useful for those with mobility issues, for those recovering from injury, for children learning to swim and for seniors maintaining and increasing their health.  With the increase in the population of seniors, the need for restorative swim centers that are designed to be barrier-free is critical.  No warm water therapy pools are open to the public in Seattle year-round.  There are simliar pools in Bellevue and Mountlake Terrace.  (There is one warm water (94 degree) pool available in the summer months in Magnolia.)

I am acutely aware of this lack of warm water therapy pools since my daughter has been old enough to learn to swim.  Because of her disability, she carries little body fat and can’t tolerate the standard 84 degree pool temperature of lap pools, such as the Seattle public pools.  The doctors have told us again and again that swimming is the best exercise for her.  We have searched and searched for a place for her to swim locally.  She currently swims at Seattle Children’s Hospital weekly and has had a great increase in her muscle tone and flexibility.  We are lucky enough to be able to afford to access the Hospital pool but swim opportunities like this should be available to the entire public.  This is a form of recreation that is open to anyone and in an inclusive setting!  What other sport can say that?

Let’s match or exceed the quality of swim opportunities seen in our neighboring communities — I urge you to add at least one warm water therapy pool to the Seattle City Parks.

Contact information for sending your own letter is included in the post called:  Update from SeattlePools.org: Help Put Pools in the Parks Levy. Thank you for your support for pools!

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During April and the first week of May 2008, the Parks Department will hold its second round of public meetings to solicit feedback on its strategic plan.  We expect to see a link to the draft plan on the Parks web site before April, but the draft has not yet been posted.

Please help us ensure that the Parks Department continues to hear steady, broad support for pools by attending one of the 2008 public meetings listed here:  Actions Needed

Thanks to all of you who attended public planning meetings during November/December last year.  Hints suggest that your voices were heard– congratulations! 

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We’ve had our ears to the wind to catch hints of whether the Parks Department heard our call for pools during the first round of strategic planning meetings in 2007.

Nothing concrete yet — the draft strategic plan still hasn’t been released — but we’ve seen one very good sign.  The Jan 10 Parks Board of Commissioners Meeting Summary lists pools as the second item heard at the public forums:

• "A perceived need for balance between athletic fields and open space
• A desire for more swimming pools.
• A request that Parks evaluate the potential to co-locate community centers and senior center programs.
• A need for better data systems to track and report on activities and to measure performance.
• A desire for more family oriented programs at community centers and more imaginative play for kids.
• A need to enhance our outreach strategy, public processes, and web site.
• A recommendation to increase our resources for marketing
• A recommendation that we inventory our many types of partnerships (with nonprofits, concessionaires, “friends of” groups, other agencies, etc.) and target specific partnerships to enhance service delivery.
• A suggestion that we step up our efforts to coordinate volunteer activities.
• A need to define/categorize parks
• A need to model “green” behavior
• Build on our asset management system, keep it up to date, and build relationships with other departments to ensure information and data systems can be shared.
• A recommendation that we use life-cycle costing in managing our assets.
• A suggestion that we examine our fee structure."

The meeting minutes also summarize Park’s success in soliciting public comments:

• 600 people attended 32 public meetings with Parks staff as facilitators and scribes
• The online survey garnered 1800 responses
• Four staff meetings solicited comments from 850 employees attending

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The North District Community Council recently expressed its support for pools to the Seattle City Council and Mayor.  The North District is one of 13 District Councils in the city and represents the communities located in the North region of Seattle.  The following letter, addressed to Council President Richard Conlin, was delivered to all Seattle City Council members, plus the Mayor:

Dear Councilmember Conlin:

At our February North District Council meeting, we held a community discussion about the number and adequacy of city owned swimming pools in Seattle.  It is our understanding that since the construction of the pools funded by the Forward Thrust measure of 1968, only one new pool has been built.

We are writing this letter to request that the Seattle City Council, along with the Mayor, Parks Department and appropriate board or commission, fund and carry out a study to determine if the current number of city owned swimming pools meets the needs of our citizens. 

We also request that if the study indicates a need for additional pools, a funding and planning proposal be developed, and if necessary, placed in front of the voters for approval.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely

Renee Staton
Co-Chair, North District Council

This letter joins other letters of support available for your review on our Supporters page.

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Seattle’s Child magazine recently ran an article on Project Seattle Pools that included a great quote from the originator of the Seattle pool efforts:

“Our city has not kept up with the times. Whenever you have long wait lists (three to 12 years) and expensive fees to join private clubs ($2,000-$25,000), swimming becomes an exclusive activity,” Larsen says.

Our thanks go to Seattle’s Child for helping to get the word out about the need for pool supporters to speak for pools during the upcoming forums for the Seattle Park’s Department’s strategic plan. 

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The Seattle Great City Initiative has kindly accepted Project Seattle Pools into its Neighborhood Assistance Program.  Great City’s site describes this program as follows:

“The goal of SGCI’s Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) is to help find practical solutions to make neighborhoods better places to live and work as this city grows.  We want to be a resource for Seattleites interested in helping shape new development and seeking neighborhood improvements.”

Seems like a great opportunity to learn from pros.

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Earlier this year, the Capital Hill Times ran a nice article introducing  the new Superintendent of Parks, Tim Gallagher.  His strong interest in health and fitness is a great sign for pools.  This interest is not just theoretical — read the full article to find out how he managed to interview for his new position while trekking the Pacific Crest trail. 

Excerpt from: Tim Gallagher takes over the parks department
By Russ Zabel   01/01/2008

Environmental sustainability and health and fitness are issues that are a real concern for him, Gallagher said. On the environmental front, that includes the kinds of vehicles and equipment the department uses and how money is spent, he said.

Health and fitness - especially for kids - is even more important, according to Gallagher. "This will be the first generation in history where children are expected to die younger than their parents," he said with a frown.

Gallagher blames the loss of unstructured play and the epidemic of childhood obesity, which has reached the 35-percent mark in Los Angeles, he said: "It’s clearly not as bad up here, but it’s still horrible."

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Interested in future funding for Seattle Parks (and thus possibly pools)?  We’ve all been invited to a forum that will address future directions for investments in parks and green infrastructure.  Here’s the invite:

Seattle Great City Initiative’s "What it Takes" Forum Series:

Post Pro-Parks: What is Seattle’s Next Round of Green Infrastructure
Investments?

Thursday, January 17, 5:30 - 7:00
Seattle Public Library
1000 4th Avenue

Seattle is known as a ‘green city’ for its environmental leadership and for its natural beauty. As our city grows, and as the magnitude of our environmental challenges increases, it becomes ever more important that we incorporate more "green" into our planning—parks, open spaces and ecological restoration. But we know that money is always tight, and even more so with  the expiration of the Pro-Parks Levy in 2008.

Join a distinguished panel of local experts for a close look at "what it takes" to define and fund the most important new investments in parks, boulevards, and green infrastructure to ensure our city grows more beautiful and more environmentally sustainable.

Guest Panelists:
Council Member Tom Rasmussen, Chair of the Parks Committee
Bruce Blume, local property developer and board member of Seattle Parks Foundation
Jack Tomkinson, Neighborhood Parks Advocate, Director of Urban Sparks and founder of Fremont Peak Park
Nancy Rottle, Director of the UW’s Green Futures Lab, Co-director Open Space Seattle 2100

Moderator:
Brice Maryman, Landscape Architect, co-leader of Open Space Seattle 2100, and board member of the Seattle Great City Initiative.

We are proud to have the following cosponsors for this forum: Sierra Club,  Groundswell NW, Futurewise, Feet First, AIA Seattle, Friends of Seattle.

Seattle Great City Initiative is bringing together environmentalists, neighborhood advocates and business leaders to advocate for Seattle as a great place to live and work, and a model of economic and environmental sustainability.

The Seattle Great City Initiative is a program of the Cascade Land Conservancy and the Cascade Agenda. To learn more visit: www.greatcity.org

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Thanks all of you who attended the Parks Department Strategic Planning Meetings to speak for pools.

You Can Still Send Your Comments:  Note that you can still express your support for pools via the Parks Department Survey.  You can also email your comments to the Parks Strategic Planning Coordinator:  Susanne Friedman Susanne.Friedman@Seattle.Gov.  

Attendance.  We’ve received direct reports of attendance at 13 of the 32 meetings, so we certainly succeeded in demonstrating broad support for pools.  Many people did not tell us about their specific attendance plans beyond "Count on me!," so meeting coverage was likely higher than 13/32– probably about half of the meetings were covered.  In general, once one pool supporter spoke up, other attendees voiced their enthusiasm for pools. 

Detailed Reports:

Monday, November 26th
• Garfield Community Center - 5 to 7 p.m.
• Montlake Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.  Chris K. and 2 others attended on behalf of pools, so 3/15 attendees spoke specifically for pools
  
• Rainier Beach Community Center - 5 to 7 p.m.

Tuesday, November 27th
• Magnolia Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.  Kristen L.
  
• Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center - 5 to 7 p.m. Kristen K. and a vocal group of pool supporters.  The Parks moderator said he kept putting exclamation points after the word "pools" due to strong support.
  
• South Park Community Center - 5 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday, November 28th
• 100 Dexter Avenue North - 5 to 7 p.m. (Parks & Recreation Admin Bldg) Michael D. and Kathy K. (2/10 attendees).  Everyone there was very supportive and chimed in about the need for pools.
  
• Loyal Heights Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.
• Southwest Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.

Thursday, November 29th
• Ballard Community Center - 6 to 8 p.m. Chris K.
• High Point Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.
• International District Community Center - 6 to 8 p.m.
• Langston Hughes - 5 to 7 p.m.
• Laurelhurst Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.  — Elizabeth N., Mike W., Kathy Z, Robert — 4/9 people attended specifically to speak for pools.  The Laurelhurst Community Club wrote a letter of support for pools during last summer’s city budget efforts.  Support for pools was strong even among people who did not attend specifically for pools.
  

Saturday, December 1st
• Carkeek Park - Noon to 2 p.m.
• Delridge Community Center - 2 to 4 p.m.
• Green Lake Community Center - 2 to 4 p.m. Ann T. and Deb V. 
  
• Jefferson Community Center - 10 a.m to Noon

Tuesday, December 4th
• Arboretum - Graham Visitor’s Center - 6 to 8 p.m.
• Hiawatha Community Center - 6 to 8 p.m.
• Meadowbrook Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.  — Heather R., plus unidentified others– sounded like quite a few people spoke for pools.  Terry V. contacted us afterwards to say that the Meadowbrook Advisory Council would like to work with us in advocating improvements for Meadowbrook pool.  The Advisory Council has invited us to speak at an upcoming meeting.
  

Wednesday, December 5th
• Alki Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.
• Camp Long - 5 to 7 p.m.
• Magnuson Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m. Celeste S. and (unconfirmed) Kristen K.  Update from an attendee:  "There was a general idea going that the parks dept needs to maintain what they already have before building anything new.  But I spoke up for pools emphasizing that it is impossible to keep a facility in useable condition when it is overused and dangerously crowded due to overuse.  At that point there was overwhelming support in favor of more pools.  In fact it was really the only new facility that the people seem to support. "
  
• Yesler Community Center - 5 to 7 p.m.  Mikenzie M.
  

Thursday, December 6th
• Discovery Park - 5 to 7 p.m.
  
• Northgate Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m. Ann T., Kathy K., Chris K. and one other person attended specifically for pools ( 4 out of about 20-25).  All reported strong support for pools at the meeting, including enthusiasm from those who did not attend specificially for pools.  The meeting had a "green," health-concious theme, which fit right into pools.  The new superintendent attended and revealed two of his soft spots:  1)  Fighting childhood obesity & improving fitness.  2)  Farmer’s markets and healthy/good foods.
  
• Rainier Community Center - 7 to 9 p.m.
  
• Queen Anne Community Center - 5 to 7 p.m. Michael D.

Saturday, December 8th
• Bitter Lake Community Center - 1 to 3 p.m.
• Miller Community Center - 10 a.m. to Noon C. and one other person spoke for pools.  Most attendees spoke for senior recreation programming.
  
• Van Asselt Community Center - 3 to 5 p.m.

Other Updates:

Next Steps for Parks:  The Parks Department will publish a draft Strategic Plan early in 2008 after reviewing community feedback.  At that time, it will hold another round of public meetings (roughly Spring 2008).   Please note that Parks will continue to accept public feedback electronically throughout this process, so don’t hesitate to continue to send your comments today via the methods listed at the beginning of this post. 

Superintendent.  Thanks to Kathy and Chris, we now know that the soon-to-be-confirmed Superintendent sees fighting childhood obesity as a priority.  Pools help kids establish healthy habits by providing fun ways to be active, so we have good hope that Superintendent Gallagher will support our efforts.

Regional Coordination.  Pacific Northwest Swimming organized a regional pool planning meeting on December 16th and will continue to coordinate regional planning.  Anyone interested in involvement in regional planning is welcome to contact elizabeth@seattlepools.org.  Two other groups involved in regional planning are North Shore Aquatics (http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/Support_Northshore_Aquatics/) and the Eastside’s Project Splash (http://www.splashforall.org/).

Follow-up to Pro-Parks Levy.  We’ve been invited to the next meeting of the Seattle Great City Initiative on January 9th at 7:30 am (email Elizabeth if you’d like to attend).  This group hopes to place a follow-up Pro-Parks levy before voters when the Pro-Parks levy expires in 2008.  It’s easier to get levies renewed than passed for the first time. 

Meadowbrook Advisory Council.  Terry V. from the Meadowbrook Advisory Council has invited us to speak about our project at their next meeting.  The Council is advocating for improvements to Meadowbrook pool.  Email elizabeth@seattlepools.org if you’d like to find out more.

North District Council.  In November, we spoke to the North District Council about Project Seattle Pools.  At its February 6th meeting, the Council will hopefully vote to send a letter of support on our behalf to the Parks Department.  They have been very supportive.  Community councils have a great deal of influence in Seattle (we’re a grass-roots city!), so email elizabeth@seattlepools.org if you can advocate on behalf of pools at an upcoming meeting of your own community council.

November Pool Team Meeting.  In case you missed our core team meeting in November, you can read the Meeting Notes.  We’ll meet again in January or February as needed.

Humor.  We’ve heard rumor that a group has been vocally advocating for naked swim sessions in public pools.  Just so there’s no confusion, that group is NOT us.  Officially, conclusively, Project Seattle Pools is not advocating on behalf of naked swimming.

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Dear Pool Supporters,

Many of you have already spoken for pools during the Parks Department’s first week of public meetings for its Strategic Plan.  Thank you!  

The last 14 Parks meetings take place this week, so you still have a chance to get your voice heard.  The new Strategic Plan will guide Parks Department decisions for the next 5-10 years, so this is a tremendous opportunity to get public pools onto the Parks Department’s agenda. 

How to Help

• Attend one of the remaining 14 public meetings throughout Seattle this week.  Times & locations are listed here: http://seattlepools.org/actions-needed/.  Please ask Parks to prioritize pool space—indoor, outdoor, deep water, shallow water– whatever you feel strongly about. 
• If you can’t attend one of the meetings, you can still influence the Strategic Plan electronically: 
  • Take the Parks Department Strategic Planning Survey: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/Publications/BusinessPlan.htm.  You can make comments in support of pools at the end of the survey.
  • Alternatively, email your comments to soon-to-be-confirmed Parks Superintendent Tim Gallagher, care of Susanne.Friedman@Seattle.Gov. 

What Happens Next

After completing 30+ public meetings, the Parks Department will use public feedback to hammer out its core functions and goals.  Parks will publish a draft strategic plan, then hold another round of 30-plus public meetings in March 2008 to gather public comments on the daft.  After further revisions, Parks will submit a revised plan to the City Council.   We’ve heard that the feedback Parks receives from the public during this process will influence city leaders outside of the Parks Department (particularly the Mayor and City Council).

Watch www.seattlepools.org for the latest info on the Parks planning process and updates on how to help.  

Thank you for your support for public pools!

–Elizabeth

PS.  In case you have free time, you can also advocate for pools through your letters and email.  Tell city leaders how well pools “build strong families and healthy communities,” one of the Mayor’s key initiatives.  Contact info:

• Soon-to-be-confirmed Parks Department Superintendent Tim Gallagher:  Seattle Parks and Recreation, 100 Dexter Ave N.,Seattle, WA 98109; email c/o Susanne.Friedman@Seattle.Gov).   Letters sent to the Superintendent will influence the Park Department Strategic Plan.
• Seattle Mayor Nichols:  PO Box 94749 Seattle, WA 98124-4749. 
• City Council Members:  Addresses available at http://www.seattle.gov/council/councilcontact.htm

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Pool supporters attended the first Magnuson Park Open House to learn about renovation plans for the Park.   Magnuson Park is just one of many sites that the City could eventually consider for pools.  There is certainly no pool proposal on the table for Magnuson (or any other site) right now, despite the implication of the Seattle PI article today. 

Highlights from today:

The Parks Department must hear a city-wide call for pool space before it will prioritize pools. The Seattle Parks Department says it must see clear support for pools ACROSS Seattle, not just in one part of the city, before it can prioritize pools in its Strategic Plan.  Please help us get pools into the Strategic Plan!  Here’s how:

1. Speak for pools at one of the Parks Dept. Strategic Planning Public Meetings (Nov. 26 - Dec. 6).  Meetings outside of NE Seattle are not yet well-covered by swimmers.

2.  Ask your friends in other parts of the city to speak for pools at the Parks Strategic Planning Public Meetings in their own neighborhoods.  You can send them our outreach letter, our Flyer or our url:  www.seattlepools.org.  All areas of the City will be considered by the Parks Department for any eventual pools.

Electronic Alternative:  If you can’t attend of the meetings, you can now use the new Parks Department Survey to comment on the need for pools.   Pool supporters can also email comments to Susanne, the Parks Department Strategic Plan coordinator:  Susanne.Friedman@Seattle.Gov.  We’ve heard that in-person attendance at the planning meetings has the largest impact, but all comments are influential.  Thank you!!

Building 2 at Magnuson is still available.  We confirmed that there are no imminent plans on the table for Building 2 at Magnuson.  This large hanger will likely be torn down.  Building 2 has an unblocked view of the water from its North side (map).  

The old pool at Magnuson is beyond repair.  The old, military pool in Building 47 at Magnuson was described by a Park official as "right out of a horror movie."  It isn’t salvageable.  Bringing this mothballed pool up to code and replacing its systems would cost more than building anew.

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Interested in Magnuson Park as a potential site for public pools?  Today (Saturday, Nov. 17th, 11am-1:30pm), you can attend the first of  three "Community Vision" open houses for Magnuson Park.  Two more open houses happen on the 19th and 27th.

The Parks Department calls these open houses "opportunities for public comment," so you’re welcome to attend and tell Parks Department representatives that you would like to see a public pool at Magnuson or elsewhere.  Or pools!

Note:  These meetings are not the same as the Parks Strategic Planning meetings, so if you only have time to attend one meeting, you may wish to attend one of the Strategic Planning Meetings instead.

Details on the Magnuson Open Houses from the Parks web site:

Public Invited To Open Houses On "Community Vision" For Magnuson Park

Seattle Parks and Recreation will hold three Open Houses in November to share with the community information about improvements to Warren G. Magnuson Park. These improvements carry forward the master plan for Magnuson Park.

The Open Houses will be held on:

• Saturday, Nov. 17 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 19 5 - 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 27 6:30 - 9 p.m.

All Open Houses will be held at Warren G. Magnuson Park, The Brig (Building 406), 6344 NE 74th Street. All open houses will include the same presentations.

Parks issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in 2005 to improve the park. That process resulted in proposals for:

• Arena Sports to renovate Building 27 and create an active indoor recreation facility
• Building 11 LLC to renovate Building 11 and manage a range of recreation-oriented mixed-use activities
• Civic Light Opera (CLO) to renovate and manage the theater in the Magnuson Community Center
• Cascade Bicycle Club to renovate Building 18 as the NW Center for Cycling
• Seattle Court Sports Unlimited (SCSU) to create a new indoor/outdoor tennis center north of Magnuson Community Center
• Sand Points Arts and Cultural Exchange’s (SPACE) proposal to renovate the west wing of Building 30 for artist’s studios

For more detailed information about these proposals or the Open Houses, please visit: www.seattle.gov/parks/magnuson/. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Eric Friedli, Enterprise Division Director at 206-684-8369 or eric.friedli@seattle.gov.

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Summary

• Next Step.  Get pools into the Parks Dept.’s Strategic Plan.  Please attend Parks Dept. meetings in your neighborhood in late November.
• Progress Thus Far.  An initial feasibility study for new pools will be funded.  It’s a smaller study than we’d hoped to see, but it’s a great first step.  Your calls and letters to City Councilmembers made this happen.  Nice work, pool team!
• New Name/Site/ Leadership.  We’ve become Project Seattle Pools (www.seattlepools.org) and Elizabeth Nelson is now the project coordinator.   She needs a team.

Next Step.  Get pools into the Seattle Parks Dept.’s new Strategic Plan

• How?  Community members like you need to attend public meetings in late November to get pools prioritized in the new Parks Strategic Plan.  You can help boost attendance by posting our Flyer in your neighborhood.
• Why?  Parks will prioritize investments for the next 5+ years based on community feedback at these 33 community meetings.  Broad representation at the majority of these meetings is what is needed to convince Parks to invest in pools beyond an initial study.
• Who?  If you have friends in other parts of the city, ask one of them to attend a meeting in their neighborhood.
• Where/When?  Our site lists all the meetings and whether there’s a pool rep scheduled to attend each one.  Email Elizabeth if you can cover a meeting and she’ll add you to the list on our site.  There’s also a map and more info on the City’s site.

Progress Thus Far:  Initial Feasibility Study Funded

• Funding.  Because of your letters, the Seattle Parks Department found money in their existing budget to cover the cost of an initial feasibility study.  [Details:  Councilmember Della will not propose the study as originally conceived and funding will not be part of the Mayor’s budget. Lots o’ politics, but a reasonable end result.]
• Future.  The result of the initial study will be a business case to better understand the costs and benefits associated with indoor and outdoor pools, and a needs assessment of current beach and existing pool use.  This initial study will inform the process for moving ahead and is the first step towards identifying pool sites.  For the full future trajectory, see History and Future on our site.

New Name/Site/Leadership

• Name. We’ve become Project Seattle Pools.  Pools of any kind and in any location will only get built when City leaders hear a wide-ranging call for pools.  Changing our name helps us broaden support and advocate more effectively for pool space.  Kathy Whitman, Aquatics Manager for the City of Seattle, considers outdoor pools to be an exceptionally cost-effective way to add pool capacity, so outdoor pools still top our list of priorities. Our end goal is to expand pool space in our city in a cost-effective, community-friendly manner. Outdoor pools, indoor pools, 50 meter pools, rehab/therapy pools… the need for all of these is clear when existing facilities are overflowing.
• Site.  We’ve moved to: www.seattlepools.org.
• Lead.  Elizabeth Nelson has taken over Christine’s coordination role. She would like to form a network of pool reps (see below) and—ideally– a core leadership team.  She won’t be able to fill Christine’s big shoes alone.  Christine’s dedication continues to serve Parks in her neat new role.

Pool Reps Needed

It will take a broad-based movement to get pools built in Seattle.  We need your help to leverage your networks and reach out to your community.  Roles we need filled:

• Swim Team & Masters Team Reps.  Post fliers at team practices.  Email your team members.  Speak up at team meetings.  Chat with other parents in the bleachers.  Get info into team newsletters.
• School Reps.  Make sure announcements get into your school’s newsletters.
• Community Club Reps.  Ask your Community Club to write a letter of support.  Get info into your neighborhood’s newsletter.  Put up fliers in your neighborhood.
• Private Pool Reps.  Even though private pool members already have access to pools, they know friends who can’t get in off of waiting lists.  Can you get the word out to members and wait lists?
• Core Leadership Team Members.  Email Elizabeth if you’d like to help lead this project.

Bonus for Volunteer Reps:  An email address @seattlepools.org if you’d like one.

Other Ways To Make A Difference:

• Write to (soon-to-be-confirmed) Superintendent Tim Gallagher, Seattle Parks and Recreation, 100 Dexter Ave N.,Seattle, WA 98109.  Tell him why outdoor swimming is so important.  Better yet, have your child write to him!    
• Write to Mayor Greg Nickels, PO Box 94749 Seattle, WA 98124-4749.  Tell him why pools (particularly outdoor pools) "build strong families and healthy communities," one of his key initiatives.   

Summary:  Recent Community Meetings.
Thank you for attending the community meetings held at Miller and Meadowbrook Community Centers mid-October. Senior Parks staff members were present at both meetings.  Comments included private club waitlist woes, transportation issues, how swimming is great for all ages and abilities, how we live in a water culture and should build skills for our children’s safety, and potential locations for pools (existing parks, new lands, surplus public school property, lidded reservoirs), and how outdoor swimming is a childhood essential.  Kathy Whitman from Seattle Parks talked about the importance of multiple bodies of water and shallow water space in any future designs as these elements lead to higher revenues and greater pool success.    

Thanks for your support and enthusiasm.

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Project Outdoor Pool has become Project Seattle Pools.  If you are subscribed to our old site, you will need to re-subscribe to the new one.

We made this change because recent community meetings demonstrated a broad and deep need for pool space, not just outdoor pools. Kathy Whitman, Aquatics Manager for the City of Seattle, considers outdoor pools to be an exceptionally cost-effective way to add pool capacity, so outdoor pools still top our list of priorities. Our end goal is to expand pool space in our city in a cost-effective , community-friendly manner. Outdoor pools, indoor pools, 50 meter pools, rehab pools… the need for all of these is clear when existing facilities are overflowing.

Please email elizabeth@seattlepools.org if you’d like to join the Project Seattle Pools team.

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