-
- Vienna officials discussed the pool during the special council meeting on Thursday. From left were Mayor Randy Rapp, City Recorder Melissa Elam and Councilmember Roger Bibbee. (Photo by James Dobbs)
-
- Henry Sasyn, Vienna resident, discussed the pool and why they should include lane lines in the pool. (Photo by James Dobbs)
-
- A concept image from Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering and Omni Architects of what the pool’s finished design could look like. No designs have been finalized. (Screenshot)
Vienna officials discussed the pool during the special council meeting on Thursday. From left were Mayor Randy Rapp, City Recorder Melissa Elam and Councilmember Roger Bibbee. (Photo by James Dobbs)
VIENNA — Vienna City Council gathered in council chambers on Thursday evening for a special meeting regarding the future design of Jackson Pool.
The pool’s design features, which are subject to change, include a new wading pool, a body slide tower, a lily walk, an agility course, basketball hoops, a rope swing, a climbing wall and a diving board.
Some of the other changes in the pool’s design are a shade structure and an entry breezeway, so families aren’t split up into the men’s or women’s changing rooms as they enter the pool. The bathrooms have also been redesigned to include a men’s and women’s bathroom and changing area, two ADA compliant family changing rooms and two ADA compliant family changing and shower areas.
Melissa Elam, council recorder, began the pool discussion. She said earlier in the week, she and Mayor Randy Rapp met with Warren and Judith Peascoe to learn more about handicap accessibility. The Peascoes suggested making the ADA bathrooms larger and using a chairlift and plastic wheel chairs to make the pool handicap accessible, instead of using a ramp. Rapp discussed using an aluminum ramp that could be removed or inserted as needed.
Elam said she would want to make the pool suitable for swim teams in the future.
Henry Sasyn, Vienna resident, discussed the pool and why they should include lane lines in the pool. (Photo by James Dobbs)
“So it’s better to put the swim lane lines in now than wish that we would have done it later,” she said.
Roger Bibbee, councilmember, suggested including a splash pad in the location of the body slide tower. He also suggested deepening the wading pool and to get rid of the lily walk and the rope swing. Rapp earlier suggested that the rope swing was more of a hassle than it was worth, because it broke constantly.
Chris Mancuso, councilmember, said he was concerned that the body slide tower would push the pool into the aquatic center category rather than a pool. He said there would be several additional requirements that the city would have to meet due to the categorization. Mancuso also suggested combining the kiddy pool with the main pool, and use a zero entry entrance into the pool.
Rapp said he liked the baby pool being separate, because it gives more privacy and the separate filtration system would help with bodily fluids.
Council opened up the floor for the public to speak. Henry Sasyn, Vienna resident, discussed how local teams are having trouble getting access to swim lanes. Sasyn said that they also need to reach all age groups with the pool.
A concept image from Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering and Omni Architects of what the pool’s finished design could look like. No designs have been finalized. (Screenshot)
“We really need to make it useful for everybody,” he said. “We spend a ton of money in this state for rehab, spend the money up front to prevent the kids from wanting to do that stuff in the first place.”
Elam said representatives from Martin Aquatic Design and Engineering and Omni Architects would be available at the next city council meeting, which will take place in council chambers on Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. Council will continue the pool design discussion.
James Dobbs can be reached at [email protected]
***
New Equipment Costs
* The lily walk would cost $160,000.
* The agility course would cost $45,000.
* The basketball hoops would cost $3,750 per hoop, and the design incorporates two for a total of $7,500.
* The rope swing would cost $18,750.
* The climbing wall would cost $12,500.
* The Body slide tower would cost about $411,000.
* The springboard one meter diving board would cost $18,000, a price was also requested for a one meter platform diving board, but it wasn’t available.