Plans surface for new pool

Kent resident Elysa Lanz is tired of driving to Federal Way for her daughter Avalon's swim meets.

Although the 11-year-old practices with the King Aquatic Club at the community pool at Kent-Meridian High School, mom and daughter usually travel to the other side of Interstate 5 to pools in Southwest King County for swim meets. The drive can take up to an hour during heavy traffic.

"The pool here is too old," said Lanz, who has multiple sclerosis and regularly uses the Kent-Meridian Pool for therapy. "It's dirty. The filtration system has problems, and there is not enough spectator room for competitions."

For all those reasons and more, swimmers say it is time for the city to invest in a new community pool. Kent is considering a $49 million aquatic center that would replace the city's aging pool, which was built in 1973.

The proposed aquatic center would include three pools — a 10-lane lap pool, a warm-water therapy pool and a leisure pool — a gymnasium, an indoor track and a child-care center.

The city wants to build the pool on a parcel of city-owned land on Naden Avenue South, east of Highway 167, between West Meeker and West Willis streets.

Kent City Council likely will decide before the end of the summer whether to put a bond measure before voters to pay for the site. Such a measure would require a supermajority, or approval by 60 percent of voters to pass.

City officials estimate that up to 70 percent of the cost of the center will be recovered through fees and other building revenue. The current cost to use the pool is $3 to $4.40.

If approved, Kent would be the second city in South King County to build a new public pool in recent years.

Last year, Federal Way opened a $21 million community center, complete with a lap pool and therapy pool, to replace aging public pools in the city. The King County Aquatic Center, maintained by King County, is also in Federal Way.

About 30 people have joined an advocacy group called Citizens for Kent Recreation and Aquatics Future in support of the project.

About 100 high-school and club swimmers use the Kent-Meridian Pool each weekday, office manager Kelly Prothero said. The pool is also used by the Kentwood and Kent-Meridian high-school swim teams.

Kent took over operation of the pool from King County in 2003. The city leases the land from Kent School District in a deal that expires in 2011, Prothero said.

Area swim clubs are among the most vocal supporters, but others say an aquatics center would benefit seniors and the disabled, who often do water exercises because they cause less stress to joints and reduce the risk of injury.

"From an exercise standpoint, the city has put money toward skate parks and spectator sports, but an aquatics center could meet the needs of entire families and the community," Lanz said.

Karen Johnson: 253-234-8605 or karenjohnson@seattletimes.com