The Town of Barrhead has given the green light to the Barrhead Agrena Society to proceed with plans for a preliminary drawing of the proposed pool project.
The Society would like to start interviewing architects for the project, said Society president Shannon Carlson, but the funds need to be in place for that process to begin. He said the cost for preliminary drawings would be between $25,000 and $30,000, and that he is approaching both the Town and the County to split the bill. The list of possible architects has been whittled down to a total of six that are willing to get involved with project.
“We’re trying to keep this as cost-effective as possible, and we want to get the best bang for our buck,” Carlson told council last week when he updated the Town on the progress of the society’s quest for a new pool. “We need the drawings just so we can start raising funds. People need to know and see what they are raising money for.”
Town council unanimously agreed to the request for funding, provided the County covers half of it. Mayor Brian Schulz said unless the County comes on board with the pool project, there is nothing that can be done.
Carlson said he met with County councillors two weeks ago to discuss the same issue.
County CAO Mark Oberg said councillors will give the request some careful consideration.
Results from a recent survey conducted by the County revealed that about 50 per cent of respondents stated they wanted the County to commit funds to the new pool, while the other half of respondents was against it. Councillors will take this information into account, Oberg said.
“They are discussing their options,” Carlson said, and added the Town will forward a letter to the County, and that the County would give their answer to Town council.
The Barrhead and District Agrena Society decided in April to lead the fundraising project for a new aquatic centre, but only if they get enough support from the community.
At a meeting held several months ago, more than 20 people showed up to pledge their support to the initiative.
As such, a building committee was formed, and members of that committee have been busy ever since collecting data and devising plans for the new pool.
“So far, everything is going well,” Carlson said. “We are doing a lot of research, and committee members are working well together. Everyone is doing their part, because they all have a vested interest in a new pool.”
Once an architect is hired, the Society will be able to get a better idea of the overall cost for the project. There are a lot of variables involved, Carlson said, and the committee wants a pool that is going to last for many years to come.
The next step will be raising the funds for the pool, and Carlson said the Society needs the community to rally behind this effort in order for it to become a reality.
The Town engaged in a study to determine whether it would be better just to fix the current facility, or whether it would be feasible to construct a new pool. It would cost approximately $4.9 million to upgrade the current facility, according to the engineering report that was presented to Town councillors in April. The Kinsmen Aquatic Centre is a 25-metre, five-lane indoor pool, with a poolside lounge area, whirlpool, climbing wall, tots pool, full shower and change facilities, as well as a multipurpose room and first-aid area.
The society put together a list of what the new aquatic centre should have when it’s built. Included in the recommendations is: a 25-metre, six-lane salt-water pool; handicap side entry and hot tub; a steam room rather than a sauna; a children’s pool; a water slide separate from the pool; a one-metre diving board; a larger deck area; proper viewing area; larger, more user-friendly dressing rooms; an open user-friendly entrance; all the necessary equipment to host swim meets; a building 20 per cent larger than the existing pool; ample parking; and careful examination of the existing pool for future use (i.e. a community centre or field house).
At last week’s meeting, Carlson told Town councillors that many meetings have taken place with the people who have come on board for the project. Building committee members have visited pools in other communities, including Edmonton, and through those visits, the society has further developed its list of what should and shouldn’t be included in the designs for a new pool. All plans are preliminary, and nothing is written in stone, he added.
The building committee’s next meeting takes place tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Town council chamber. The Agrena Society’s next general meeting will take place during the third week of September, and that meeting is open to the public.
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