HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-01-22; Parks & Recreation Commission; 101-2; Letter from Richard LantzPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION -AGENDA BILL
AB# 101 -2 TITLE : INFO
MTG. DATE: 1-22-01 LETTER FROM RICHARD LANTZ
ACTION
STAFF: BEVERLY
RECOMMENDED ACTION :
Accept and file.
ITEM EXPLANATION :
The attached letter is being distributed to the Commission at the request of Mr. Richard Lantz.
The subject matter involves a request for the construction of a second swim complex. The letter
has also been distributed to the City Council Members.
EXHIBITS:
1. Richard Lank Letter - January 7,2001
t &chard C. Lank
2844 Wilson St.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
730-8966
Jan 7,2001
Carlsbad City Council
Carlsbad Parks & Rec. Commission
1200 Carlsbad Village Dr.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Re:Construction of Second Aquatic Facility
Dear Council Members and Parks Commissioners,
In 1982 we bdt our first swimming pool. Our cities population was
approximately 27,000 and our outdoor recreation facilities we enjoyed were
Holiday Park, a few neighborhood parks, and the baseball fields on Harding
St. In the last nineteen years our population has tripled and will exceed over
100,000 in the near term. Our park planners, park commissioners, and city
council members have planned accordingly and have built three major sports
complexes and planning a fourth, they have built a new library, senior center,
and even a new city office center just to handle the growth.
However, amidst all the planning, budgeting, and buildmg, there has been one
need that has been overlooked, a second aquatic facihty. Since the first day
the swim complex opened its doors it has enjoyed one of the highest user
rates of any of our recreational facilities. The pool operates a seven day
schedule with hours of 6 AM to 9:30PM five days a week, and 8AM-6PM
two days a week. These hours are not provided merely for convenience to the
user, but out of necessity due to overcrowdmg! is s- Evem us- ScHQOI Wm
0 (GIRT .S AND BOYS), CIdUJ3 WATER POJ,O, NCA SWTM
GJRIS, WATELlFdROJ31CS~~ L SCHQOTd SWIM -!BOYS
STRUCTION is DENIRD J
EVERY MONTH Dl TE TO EXCFSIVE DEWS, Swim instruction for
tots and luds have waiting lists that are repeatedly rolled over.
EXHIBIT 1
The Swim Complex staff does and excellent job at maintaining the pool but
they do an even better job at accommodating and scheduling users request.
However, there are only so many hours in the day and only so many lanes at
the pool and we have far exceeded the use of our pool!
A common opposition I have heard fiom city staff is operational cost of
maintaining a second pool. Having been a park’s commissioner in the past I
am familiar with budgeting and cost of maintaining parks and pools. Our
present sports complexes(Calaveras, Stage Coach, and Poinsettia) are not free
to operate, in fact they are quite costly with staff and maintenance, but we
build them and operate them to meet the needs of our residents recreation.
Pools cost to operate also but with our aquatic minded community, year round
climate, and abundant(yet overcrowded) aquatic sports programs our pool
and a second pool does and would enjoy the highest use per square foot of
any facility!
Let me conclude by asking you to take a moment and think how thoughtless it
would have been if we never planned, budgeted, or built our present park
system. The only park would be Holiday Park and Hardmg St. baseball fields
accommodating over 80,000 residents.
As a resident of th~s town for 25 years and avid user of our swim complex
since it opened, I am part of that reality. The population has tripled but we
still only have one park!
-
The time to budget and build a second pool is not now, it was ye&rd& We
are behd the process and it only gets worse everyday. We have a great
opportunity to provide for the residents of community and we ask your help in
doing the right bg now. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Richard C. Lantz d
P