School/County joint pool project

It's a great idea...just bad timing. It costs money and sowal has the gulf and lakes to swim in.

It's a great idea...just bad timing. It costs money and sowal has the gulf and lakes to swim in.

At the current rates the district is collecting around 20 million a year in capital dollars. The capital millage rate is almost the same as it was in 1988 yet assessed values are 15 times higher. They have showed little inclination to reduce these taxes. So after WHS is paid for this year, and we do Emerald Coast Middle School next year, which would be paid over a couple of years, I believe that the dollars may be there to do something along those lines while passing a significant tax cut. The county appears to making recreation a top priority in their budget. Examples are the five million dollars in Freeport for the ball fields and the five million to go to the Huetell property. While the district is restricted on capital projects, the BCC enjoys no such restriction, as they finish out there current project list, they have nothing significant to work on and again, I see little inclination for the millage rates to be further reduced.

It's a great idea...just bad timing. It costs money and sowal has the gulf and lakes to swim in.

'Tis true, but there is serious interest in establishing a swim team at SWHS (might actually be a sport we are suited for!). Hard to practice for that in the Gulf these days without getting sucked out to sea.

The current plan is to put a pool on the 7 acres the county owns near the library. The thought was that it would be easy access for the high school. As far as I know though, there isn't any money to build the pool.

It's a great idea...just bad timing. It costs money and sowal has the gulf and lakes to swim in.

Then it could be argued that Freeport has the bay and creeks. I personally think that a pool around here would be an AWESOME idea considering that alot of folks dont live in gated communities with pools available.

The current plan is to put a pool on the 7 acres the county owns near the library. The thought was that it would be easy access for the high school. As far as I know though, there isn't any money to build the pool.

This is very true but sad that they say there is no money available to put a pool on acreage that the county already owns, when the cost of an Olympic sized pool SHOULD be less than $100,000. ( I priced one that was half that size for a homebuilder in the area and the bids all came back at less than $45k) Given the price increases in everything this past year, I would think that $200k would be more accurate now tho.

This is very true but sad that they say there is no money available to put a pool on acreage that the county already owns, when the cost of an Olympic sized pool SHOULD be less than $100,000. ( I priced one that was half that size for a homebuilder in the area and the bids all came back at less than $45k) Given the price increases in everything this past year, I would think that $200k would be more accurate now tho.

I thought the pool in Freeport was around $400k. But still not a lot in the overall scheme of things.

Ahh... a local swimming pool....maybe it's time is finally coming?

A public pool should be a very high priority for SoWal.

I live in Forsyth County, GA and we have a park (baseball & football/soccer fields with consession & restroom facilities) that is County Parks & Rec and is available for use by the elem school beside it. It's called Joint Venture Park. Great Idea!!!
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I was a competitive swimmer for 15 years, so I've got a definite bias in the matter.

A pool is a very useful thing to have when it comes to teaching water safety classes. Kind of hard to teach swim lessons to preschoolers in the ocean or a creek with a current. It's also nice to have for adult fitness classes, serves as a supervised summer afternoon hang out for the 10-16 year old set, and is an alternative for everyone when the Gulf is too rough and other waterways are too rough. It's a pest free environment for the most part. (Okay, mister mouse did make hand contact with a wolf spider hanging out in the gutter last time we were doing laps)

The county can help subsidize expenses by renting it out to groups- scuba classes, church picnics, day trips for summer day care.

I just hope that if they build it, they're willing to put enough moeny into it to do it right. We're not talking the IUPUI natatorium, but I'd like to see an L shape that's got at least six lanes by 25 yards that go from 4 to 8 feet deep, and then a shallow part of the L that goes from four feet to about a foot and a half with stairs or zero depth without stairs. (stick one of those splash mushrooms there and the small humans will love it) Pay some attention to the engineering- go with a good gutter system that will absorb a lot of wave action when the competitive swimmers race and train. Don't forget to set it up for backstroke flags on the sides and starting blocks on the eight foot side when you're pouring concrete for the pool deck. And set aside land to the side for a kid's 'splash park' even if there are not immediate plans or funds for such a thing.

If someone's serious about this, I'd get in touch with Recreation Services in Bluewater Bay. Their Parkwood Pool is similar to what I'm talking about there- good set up for both competitive and recreational swimming, well-engineered, and while it's going to cost you more than $100K, it's not going to be insanely expensive, especially if you can use locker room at the high school instead of having to build a separate bathhouse.

Wrobert - I like your thinking! we surely have the school population and the local interest in swimming. offering swim instruction and swim team to our kids would be awesome!

many, many families would benefit from such a project. I know mine would!

I think a public pool (able to be used for swim meets) is a much needed addition to the community! :clap:

Everyone should learn basic water safety and how to swim! My college actually made it a requirement - if you couldn't pass the swim test, you had to take swimming lessons in freshman gym class!

I spoke with the lawyer for the Boys and Girls Club at the BCC meeting tonight and a competition size pool is in their plan for the club next to the library. No timing on the pool yet. I think the sports fields (Soccer) come first. Apparently they are finally close to getting all the required permits.

I spoke with the lawyer for the Boys and Girls Club at the BCC meeting tonight and a competition size pool is in their plan for the club next to the library. No timing on the pool yet. I think the sports fields (Soccer) come first. Apparently they are finally close to getting all the required permits.

We had a commissioner that talked about a public pool about 8 or so years back. And it still does not appear to be moving forward. I want to find a way to fund this thing. If we can build 35.7 million dollar high schools for 800 or so students, we certainly should be able to find a way to make this happen, not only in south Walton, but in DeFuniak Springs and Paxton also.