Urbana Park District Looks For Input on New Crystal Lake Pool

Photo courtesy of Urbana Park District

by Amy L. Hatch

When Crystal Lake Pool closed in 2008, Urbana lost one of its two swimming facilities, and the only outdoor pool in the town. However, the Urbana Park District is hard at work gathering public input in order to create a concept plan for a new outdoor pool to replace it.

Chambanamoms.com sat down with Dana Mancuso, public information manager for UPD, and got the scoop on what kind of input the organization is looking for, why it’s so important and how the planning process will work.

And don’t forget: Chambanamoms.com and the UPD are teaming up to host the Chambanamoms.com Pool Party at the Urbana Indoor Aquatic Center, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 26. It’s FREE for your whole family, and UPD will be giving out pool passes for some lucky attendees! All you need to do is fill out an anonymous, 21-question survey that asks participants to rank how important certain features are in a new facility.

Chambanamoms: Why did Crystal Lake Pool close?
Mancuso: There are a number of contributing factors as to why it closed, but pressing issues in 2008 included leaking water despite many fixes and the electrical system.  When pools were build in the early 1980s, most of the guts of the pool like electrical and filtration systems and pipes were buried under the concrete deck. The amount of money needed to investigate—as in tear up the concrete—was large, and the extent of possible issues, electrical and otherwise, to be discovered was unknown. It seemed to the board that the best plan was to work to replace the facility.

Chambanamoms: Why is public input on a new pool so important, and how can they give UPD their two cents?
Mancuso: Right now, the public is being asked to contribute their thoughts on important amenities and features through a survey—either in person or online. The data collected from these surveys will be combined with information gathered in the first phase from stakeholders.

Chambanamoms: What exactly is a concept plan?
Mancuso: A concept plan is a drawing that shows basically the footprint of the facility. Where features will be located, where the entrances and parking and drives will be located and other general images. This is not construction plans or blueprints. The very nitty gritty stuff like what color is this or that comes only after the public has voted in support of a concept. It is incredibly important to reach many people in the concept design phase and gather their ideas. A pool is a big facility that will last for many years. We also want it to reflect the specific needs and wants of Urbana and for it to be unique to Urbana.

Chambanamoms: How much will the new pool cost and how will it be paid for?
Mancuso: There is not a price tag for construction and operation of a facility at this point. The concept design will be accompanied by that information, as it is imperative to know what will be included in the facility prior to pricing.  It will be up to the Urbana voters to determine their level of support for the final concept plan when a question is put to referendum.

Chambanamoms: When will construction on the new pool begin?
Mancuso: If a question is put on the ballot for spring 2011 and it passes, the bulk of construction can happen in 2012 and a pool could be open in 2013.

Chambanamoms.com: Why does Urbana need an indoor and an outdoor swimming facility?
Mancuso: The district’s strategic plan identified an outdoor pool and outdoor swimming as high priorities for Urbana residents. Obviously swimming outdoors and swimming indoors feels very different, and there are different types of amenities that can be provided at an outdoor pool that cannot be offered indoors. There are benefits to both types of pools.

Chambanamoms.com: It sounds like there is going to be a lot more information about the new pool in the future. How can the community keep up with the ongoing plans?
Mancuso: The design team will create three concept plans by fall that the public will be able to react to and comment on. There will be at least two public meetings in September for that purpose. And I am sure the plans will be on our website, as the other information has been. Anyone interested in staying informed about the process can sign up for the park district pool e-newsletter.

Editor’s Note: The Chambanamoms.com Pool Party is a free event, but the number of people who can be in the pool at any one time is limited and attendance will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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