Swimming will make a big splash in Pleasant Grove late next summer.
Voters overwhelmingly approved a $1.5 million bond Tuesday night for a new swimming pool to replace the 30-year-old facility at 520 E. 300 South. The accompanying tax increase to pay off the bond will cost the owner of a $75,000 home about $36 a month, according to the city.Pool admission also might go up if a new pool is built, but city leaders don't know by how much.
City officials anticipate tearing down the old pool and designing its replacement this winter. They hope to open the new pool near the end of next summer.
"We're excited about doing it," said Mayor Lloyd Ash. "It needs to be built to handle the needs of the city well into the future."
While residents look forward to a new pool, Ash said the bond and tax increase were not things the city wanted to force on people. Rather than simply raising taxes for the facility, the City Council wanted to hear from residents. Ash said the city tried to be sensitive to those who couldn't afford higher taxes.
"We felt that it was important that the citizens speak out," he said. "We weren't going to push it at anyone. It had to be a community decision."
A series of public hearings held the past month didn't draw much interest. Only seven residents turned out for the first one, although as many as 40 people attended subsequent meetings. Most had questions about the proposal. Only a handful didn't like the idea of increasing taxes for a new pool.
Had voters not approved the bond, Pleasant Grove residents likely wouldn't have had a place to swim in the future. The existing pool leaks, and the filtering system can't keep the water clean. Poor water quality forced the city to close it early this past summer. It wasn't likely to reopen next year.
City officials say they want to build a pool similar to the one that opened in Spanish Fork this past summer.
The 408,000-gallon, open-air pool facility will feature private locker rooms, larger deck and grass areas, a concession stand and a water slide. It might be equipped for a winter cover with some modifications.
The new pool will allow the city to expand some of it recreation programs such as swimming lessons, water aerobics, water therapy and lap swimming.