There is no new pool in Pitt Meadows’ future after city council determined Tuesday that a new aquatics facility iIsn’t viable.
Mayor Nicole MacDonald explained that the decision to not move forward with a new aquatics centre was based on a few different factors.
“After an exhaustive study into options, a new pool is not recommended for Pitt Meadows at this time given cost estimates, competing priority projects, and proximity to neighbouring aquatics facilities,” said MacDonald.
“We understand this may not be the news some of our residents would like to hear. However, it is the responsibility of council and city staff to ensure the responsible management of taxpayer funds,” she added.
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City council also announced that the proposed plan to redevelop Harris Road Park and introduce elements such as a picnic shelter, expanded parking lots, open lawn areas, greenery noise barriers, and more, were also scrapped due to cost.
“With the decision not to proceed with an aquatics facility and after much feedback from the community, the city will be keeping the two baseball diamonds at Harris Road Park and not continue with the Harris Road Park concept plans,” said MacDonald.
“Preserving these needed ball diamonds reflects council’s dedication to providing park and recreational spaces that meet our community’s needs while balancing responsible taxpayer impacts.”
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These decisions come after months of community engagement, where the results of an aquatics feasibility study showed overwhelming public support for a new medium indoor pool, with 62 per cent of the more than 1,600 respondents voting in favour of building it at Pitt Meadows Athletic Park.
The city explained that building a new medium-sized indoor pool could cost as much as $60 million, resulting in an annual tax increase of $1,200 per year for a single-family household for 40 years.
The city said that these annual tax increases would not be introduced in full when the facility opens since not all contributing costs would be incurred as of that date.
The city also explained that after the pool’s estimated useful life, taxpayers would continue with equivalent annual tax contributions to maintain pool service level in perpetuity.
Building any type of new pool would require assent of the electors, which could cost as much as $1 million without the guarantee that it would be approved by residents.
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City CAO Mark Roberts said that due to the small tax base of Pitt Meadows, it was not feasible to support such a large enhancement to the city’s current aquatic facilities.
“Aquatics facilities are expensive to operate and are often the most subsidized aspect of recreation services for municipalities,” said Roberts. “Building a new pool would require tax-payer funds that need to be prioritized for other needs in the future.”
Now that the Harris Road outdoor pool will be staying put, with no redevelopment of Harris Road Park planned, the city said that it will remain dedicated to maintaining and rehabilitating the existing outdoor pool to help service its citizens.
