There are no years more crucial to who we truly become than our days of childhood.  The memories we shape, the friends we make, and the adults who mold us during these formative years cannot be overstated.

                From the age of seven to my early twenties, the majority of my summers were spent at Jury Park.  While I grew up in northeast Fort Wayne, my sister was a lifeguard at the pool, and when not annoying her co-workers, I learned to play the game of tennis at the courts located adjacent to the pool.  Years later, I earned my first job at the age of sixteen as a tennis instructor and returned each summer for five years.  Simply put, Jury Park didn’t just provide memories for me, it changed my life.

                Currently New Haven residents have a choice which path they want to take—one which will continue a path of resistance and stagnancy, or one which will create memories and perhaps even change lives for future generations.

 What’s at stake is not just new pool—it is the heart of a neighborhood and the attraction point of a community.  New Haven has the chance to create a gem for their residents.  While I admittedly cannot sign the yellow petition due to my place of residence, I only hope that others will read this and represent not just my voice but my childhood.

Perhaps it is difficult to understand how a pool and park can change one’s life, but that is exactly what Jury Park did for me.  I made childhood friends, learned to swim and play tennis, and earned my first job there.  New Haven children and families deserve this, so I please ask for your support in saving Jury Pool by signing the yellow petition.  To me, the greater risk is not signing it because one lost memory is one too many.

 

To residents in the New Haven-Adams Township Parks District

Thursday, September 10th will be a historic day for the New Haven-Adams Township Parks Dept. It is the first time that we will be involved in the petition and remonstrance process and for the first time registered voters will be able to participate along with property owners. After three years of debate, the fate of Jury Pool will finally be decided. Two years ago we presented a $5.5 million in construction cost plan to replace Jury Pool to the New Haven City Council that was rejected. We reduced the plan to $4.5 million and then finally to the current $3.5 million in construction costs that will require us to borrow $4.1 million including the costs of the bond. With the median home price in New Haven at $89,152 the cost to the average household will be a $14 per year property tax increase. Jury Pool has served the area very well for 40 years but now needs to be replaced. Like many government agencies we are faced with an increased demand for services while dealing with increased costs and shrinking revenues. The Parks Department spent over $134,000 last year operating our pools and while we are providing a service we need to lessen this negative impact to our budget. Continuing to repair the pool or replace it with the same 1970 design will jeopardize operating the other 2 pools and the playground craft sheds that many children depend on in the summer. The New Jury Pool we are planning will be more efficient, have more entertainment value, encourage families to come more often, stay longer and be active. Park Departments are on the front lines when it comes to battling obesity especially in children and we need to provide facilities that encourage children to get outdoors away from computers, television and video games. Sadly when we are needed most, there are still too many federal, state and local officials along with some taxpayers who believe that parks and recreation are a frivolous and unnecessary expense.

I encourage New Haven High School students to become involved by debating this issue in the school newspaper, holding a voter registration drive and if you are 18 years or older and not registered to vote then do so. All property owners and voters in our park district should exercise their right to have a say in our community whether they are for or against the pool plan. If you would like to sign a blue petition against the pool or a yellow petition for the pool call me at 749-2212 and I will provide you with contact phone numbers for either side.

I truly believe I am doing the right thing supporting this project. I believe our Park Board is committed to providing a great community with a great park system. I believe that this is the right project at the right time. I believe that we cannot ask businesses to invest in our community if we are not willing to invest in ourselves. I believe that $1-$2 per month is a great investment in our future and I believe that for some against this pool project it has become more about the fight and not about the pool.

Believe!

Mike Clendenen
Superintendent
New Haven-Adams Township Parks Dept

I could easily rehash all of the reasons a new Jury Pool is good for New Haven, but the opposition has just one reason it is bad- it increases taxes. Their blue signs say it all. They have a scare tactic to go after your pocketbooks. They don’t even say what you’re voting “no” for. And what they certainly will not tell you is that it averages just about one dollar a month per household. Whether you would use the pool or not, this is a small price to pay for an investment in our city. 

    The opposition to the pool has also started spreading the rumor that if we build a new pool, we will not get a community center. This is not true. The whole pool/community center debate started back in 2005 when the park department knew that Jury Pool was not going to make it through many more seasons. This was not because it wasn’t taken care of, but because concrete and machinery does not last forever. At that time it formed an advisory committee to research ideas on what to do, and I was fortunate enough to be on that committee.

    We did research the whole possibility of an indoor pool but we found several things: It is not just a little more expensive to build, it is WAY more expensive to build. It also costs more to maintain because not only are you heating the pool, but also the air in a huge room, lighting a huge room, and the chlorine damages the whole big room. Our research also showed that even indoor pools are not used as much as you would think in the winter months because the kids are back in school and doing school activities and other sports. You would be paying to staff and run a facility that rarely gets used during the day. 

    So after discussing all of this, we decided to keep an indoor recreation facility and Jury Pool separate. In addition, the community survey supported keeping a pool at Jury AND building a community center, so we know there is interest in both. (Out of 1191 responders 50% wanted both; the rest supported just one or nothing at all.) 

    Work on a community center is still in progress, as far as I know. I believe it’s possible that if we can get the pool project to go through, the community center will be MORE LIKELY to get built because it would demonstrate to potential donors that citizens are willing to make an investment in their community first. Basically, who would want to throw money into a big community project if you know citizens don’t even support community improvements? 

    Back to the pool…Then comes the debate on what to put at Jury since it has passed the point of patching and repairs. It costs almost as much to replace it exactly as is (some improvements would still have to be made to meet modern code and ADA specs.) And the survey also showed that people would NOT pay more to swim at a new facility unless it had more features. Research from around the country shows this same thing. To draw people in and break even, or to make money in a season, you have to have more amenities.     

    I encourage people to ask the blue team for their evidence, concrete numbers, references and research on the project. The park department has theirs.

    Be wary if you want to sign against a new pool. Learn the real facts first at savejurypool.com. Vote yes and sign the yellow petition. Support the future of New Haven and Adams Twp.

 

Kara Heine Laughlin

This is a guest editorial. If you'd like to publish a guest editorial instead of commenting, please email it to me at blog@newhavenprint.com. Guest Editorials must be signed. 

I hope the people of New Haven come forward and approve this renovation.  The Parks Department used to be one of the integral selling points for new residents AND new businesses.  MANY people were impressed with the parks system and the abundance of quality of life. Some people have forgotten the importance of small community quality of life, where they raised their children.  Businesses value community amenities when they are looking to relocate or open new facilities. Many young adults have moved back to New Haven when they started raising children so they could partake in this community because they felt it was such a great place to grow up.  Some of the naysayers should actually participate and view the activities that take place,view the excitement of children and actually listen to the parents AND children. If the naysayers actually grew up or raised their children in New Haven, they need to reach into their memories and think back what it was like to be a child or young parent.  What was exciting and enjoyable to them? Did they or their children go to Jury Pool?  Did they take swim lessons at Jury Pool? Did they join the swim team or have birthday parties at Jury Pool?  Our past leaders had the vision to grow the parks and recreation so residents could actually stay in New Haven to enjoy these activities.  This is a very unique community and the progress made now will go a long way to secure the small-town flavor with big-town vision.

Jayne Bailey

I've been neglecting this blog for over a year. Mostly because of being too busy to maintain it. I'll try to do better. Our community has to make a decision soon. The decision to proceed with the renovation of Jury Park/Pool has been turned over to the remonstrance process. Starting in September, residents of New Haven will have the opportunity to sign a petition FOR or AGAINST the project.

Amanda Iacone from the Journal Gazette wrote a good balanced article on the Council meeting last Tuesday night.
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090826/LOCAL/308269986

There are also photos from the meeting at the New Haven Bulletin site.
http://www.newhavenbulletin.com/

There has been a website developed to provide information on the pool project. It has the estimated costs, drawing of the proposed pool renovation and information on the petition drive.  Please visit it.
http://www.savejurypool.com

As I have been for the past three years, I'm still in favor of proceeding with the project. I think the cost is justified considering the potential economic development and the fact that the new pool will give kids a place to go in the summer and learn how to be safe in the water.

I'm hoping we can get a discussion going again on the pros and cons of doing this project. I've never claimed to have all the answers, and it's interesting to hear other people's opinions. The blog will be moderated. I won't allow personal attacks to be published. I think it's pretty clear that most everyone wants a pool. We just have differing opinions on what we need and how to get there. This community is a great place to live and raise a family. We can't let an issue like this split everyone up. People are entitled to their opinions and I'll be glad to publish both sides.

Do you think it will hurt the progress on the Community Center?

Is $17.69 per $100,000 assessed property value too much to pay for this project?

Do you think people will use the pool more with the proposed added amenities?

Did you and/or your children ever use and enjoy Jury Pool?

Are you ready for a decision - one way or another?

Thanks,
Craig

   First off, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this blog. I think it's important to hear both sides of an argument. I truly don't think either side has a perfect solution. We'll just have to agree to disagree on some specifics. I also feel that even if a person works for the Park Department, their opinion is just as valid and important as some who doesn't. Saying that someone is "for" an issue because it affects their job is an accusation against their character.  That just isn't right and sounds a little bit desperate.

   The Park Department Survey went out to 4,527 homes. This list was generated by an outside company (InfoUSA) who is one of the largest sales leads / mailing list companies in the world. It would have been great to have a list of every single person who this project touches, but that just wasn't available. The City of New Haven has around 5,500 households. That means that the survey hit close to 80% of our citizens. Perfect?  No.  Scientifically valid?  Absolutely.

   Out of the 4,527 surveys sent out, over 1,400 were returned.  A response rate of over 30% in a survey like this is incredible. My company printed, assembled, and mailed the survey. When Ken brought it to the shop, I spent some time trying to talk him into making it shorter. I honestly didn't think that many people would take the time needed to read and fill it out.  He proved me completely wrong. I think it just showed how passionate the people of New Haven are about Jury Park and the need to keep it a vital part of our community.

   One of the questions was a choice to rank the Most Desired Choice of what to do with Jury Pool. The options were: remove the pool; replace it with a splash pad; replace it with a smaller pool; replace it with the same size pool; and replace it with added features.  There were 1,167 people who answered this question. Out of those 449 picked "Replace it with Same Size Pool" and 434 picked "Replace it with Added Features". That makes 883 people or 76% of the people who answered that question wanting the pool replaced.  There have been comments that at the public meetings, half or more of the people were against the project. I'll go along with that. The reality is that the public has already spoken with the survey. Is it remotely relevant to compare 20 or 30 people that don't want the project against the 883 that said they did? Even if you just pull the 434 who wanted the pool with added features, that's still a huge majority of opinion.

   Let's consider the two proposals: Option #2 is to replace the pool with some added features. It's the plan described in my earlier post. The cost is estimated at $4.4 million dollars. This would have a tax impact on a $125,000 assessed valuation home of $45.09 per year.  Option #3 is replace the pool (as is), but with the required ADA upgrades and improvements. It would be one combined pool - the same size and configuration as the present one. That plan is estimated at $3.5 million dollars. It would have a tax impact on a $125,000 assessed valuation home of $36.08 per year. If over 75% of our citizens at least want the pool replaced, that would be the minimum hit we're talking about. So basically, we're talking about $9.00 a year difference (per household) for the replacement vs. the improved version. From a business standpoint, I'll go back to the survey. There was a question asking if you'd be willing to pay $2.00 to attend a replacement pool (same size - features). There were 79% of the respondents that answered Yes. When that price was raised to $2.50, 61% said No. Then 75% said No to $3.00. When asked if people would be willing to pay $3.50 to swim at a facility with the added features, 65% said Yes. What the Park Department is trying to do, is to figure out what level of features would bring the most bang for the buck. It seems to me like the added features would easily pay for themselves over the life of the pool. Plus having separate pools for the competition lanes, pleasure pool, and the water slide would allow several different activities to be running at once. Also, more features would keep people interested in the pool longer. That means more concession revenue. The income from concessions hasn't even been discussed.

   Another issue discussed is keeping the admission rates low. Obviously, this is critical. I think the best business plan for this is to offer residents a heavily discounted season pass, and charge a premium to the previously mentioned "outsiders" (by the way - historically, about 50% of Jury Pools swimmers are from outside of New Haven). It's been stated on this blog and enthusiastically presented at the last Council Meeting that the Troy, Ohio aquatic center rate was $7.75 per person. Ron Steinman tried to state that it was more like $4.50 and he was correct. Unfortunately, he was wrongly scolded for not having current information. Turns out somebody else didn't do her research very well.  The pool that costs $7.75 isn't the Troy, Ohio facility that the Park Department has been using as a model. It's a pool in Troy, Michigan - a suburb of Detroit. The link on a previous comment to this blog directs you to that site. So basically, that information has absolutely nothing to do with the discussion at hand. If you want to see the Troy, Ohio rates, they are at http://www.troypool.com They also have season passes and family resident passes to bring the cost down.

  Another idea that's been tossed around is voting on this proposal with a referendum. I have no problem with that other than the fact that it would delay the project even longer. A six month or year additional delay could easily add $100,000 or more to the project because of inflation. Since the survey overwhelmingly showed favor for doing a project, would it make economic sense to hope that prices wouldn't go up even more a year later? That's up to the Council to decide.

  In closing, I've heard the "we can't afford to do this" argument over and over again. I think we can't afford NOT to do it. Both for the economic vitality of our community and the quality of life for our residents. I know it's an additional burden that people on fixed or low income don't need. And I'm truly sorry for that. My mother is 87 years old and lives by herself in New Haven. She's on a fixed income and will never use the pool. Her opinion is that if it's good for the kids in our community, then she'd be glad to help pay for it. I certainly wish more people thought like that. I appreciate the forward thinking of our leaders 40 years ago that took a chance and built Jury Pool. It's one of the features that defines New Haven as a great place to live. I hope it will continue to do that.

Craig Dellinger






 


 

I sometimes feel that telling my side of the story looks a bit strange because, after all, "the pools are my job."  But, because of that, I feel that I have much insight into what the pool means to those in our community.  I was a child who grew up at that pool and still find it to be a great recreational center for our entire community.  I have seen the parents and children "grow" to be avid swimmers and comfortable swimmers by attending our swimming lessons.  We always boast that our programs have "invisible rewards" because we never know how many lives our lessons have saved.

I also would like to address the amount of time and information that I have gained through the numerous meetings with other locations that have been in our same situations with aging structures.  I have personally learned a lot from seeing facilities that were built in areas similar to ours.  I can see that demolition with no pool replacement is not an option and providing a new structure is what the public wants.  The results of the survey speak for itself.  The Park Department was given the task of surveying the public and that is exactly what we did.  And, the numbers speak for themselves.  Over 70% of the persons responding to our scientific survey chose to have Jury Park and Pool redone or upgraded.  After questions regarding the possibilities of "redoing the pool as is" were raised, we have also addressed the situation of having it done exactly as is.  That is not an option because of new guidelines required by the ADA and the need for a new filter room and area for some concessions.

I could personally speak for hours on our findings but feel that this has been very well presented in the other meetings.  I would just like for you to look at the data given to you and make a decision based on the  wants and needs of the community.  Many are fine with the increase in their taxes because they know that the value to the community will come out exponentially.  They cannot put a dollar value on the price of health, fun and companionship within our community.  Please vote to allow the community to grow and move into the next phase of progress!


Kim Yoh
Aquatic Director

Tonight, will be an important night for the city of New Haven. We will be hearing again from the public about the Jury Pool project. I hope the room is again filled to capacity.

One of the persons opposed to the project implied that he is part of the "silent majority" opposed to council's alleged "tax and spend" policies. I believe the silent majority may be those who want to see New Haven move forward with the project.

Over the years, each summer, I have watched numbers of children and young people walking past my home in their bathing suits with a towel over their shoulder. It has been a part of what I believe makes my neighborhood what it is - family friendly and a great place to live.

If the pool is closed, I believe it will have a profound impact not just on the neighborhood but on the entire community. These days, the cost to each taxpayer is less than the price of a tank of gas in most cases. With no end in sight to the gaso line situation, more and more people will be staying close to home and will want to enjoy the parks and recreational facilities New Haven offers.

Without Jury pool, what will these young people do? Sit at home in front of the computer or the TV? Or worse, be out throwing rocks through windows of abandoned stores and homes? Or, getting into other sorts of mischief?

This decision is one that may determine our future direction as a city. Are we to be a city defined by borders, stores, and houses? Or, are we to be a community? A community that works together for the betterment of all.

I am not a pool person. I am however, willing to pay my share of the taxes to give the young people in New Haven as well as my children and grandchildren a safe and convenient place to enjoy their summers.

Some have said that if we close Jury Pool, we will still have two pools in New Haven. Some of these same folks are concerned about increased traffic and parking problems in the area. What will the problems be at the remaining pools when they all go there?

I have heard from a "silent majority" that wants Jury Pool to stay and/or improve. I hope that they are all out in force tonight. I have encouraged them to be there for this meeting and all council meeting to make themselves heard.

If we are not willing to invest in our community to improve the quality of life, how can we ask others to do so? If you are asked to show prospective business owners the highlights of New Haven, what will you show them? Will they be impressed by how much money we saved by closing pools and cutting back on recreational activities at our parks?
Or, would you rather show them our neighborhood pools that are well maintained and full of the noise of happy, playing children?

I hope we hear from you tonight and at all future council meetings where these important issues are on the table.

Harold E. West
New Haven City Council
District 2

I've had several requests to publish the specifics of the project, so I'll post a few slides from
the Park Board's presentation for the renovation. (sorry for the quality).
The renovation committee put together six options ranging from replacing the current pool
with a spash pad to a full blown aquatics park (Troy, Ohio layout). It was decided that
Option #4 gave our community the best bang for the buck.
The pool renovation (option #4) includes a recreational swim area, a separate competition
pool, and one water slide. It would include building new locker rooms and a concession area,
changing the baseball diamond around and dramatically increasing the parking area. The
current playground equipment will be replaced or reconditioned.
There isn't a fully rendered drawing of the project yet, because it's just recently been
decided on the plan. Also, it might still change or be modified before the project is
approved by City Council.

   First and foremost, I would like to publicly thank Council Members Harold West, Mickey Hill and Terry Werling for your steadfast support and understanding the immediate needs of the renovation of Jury Park and Pool for the future growth of this community.
   The life of a public pool is not more than 20 maybe 25 years, the fact that our pool is still open after 40 years is a testament to our amazing staff... but Jury can't be bandaged anymore.
   You all have heard the facts over and over again, the Park department has completed every request that the Council has asked of us, conceivable the most thorough presentation that the Council has witnessed. Clearly the results from the survey show wide community support, and the fact that Vince Buchanan from the Chamber - who
represents business interests, as do you - is in support of the bond is enormous. It is regrettable that the economy is the way it is right now, and that property taxes are still a mystery. Yet, I don't believe that one person from any of your districts will lose their home, or for that matter have a hardship supporting a $3.00 a month tax increase ($35.00 annually divided by 12, amount will change with home value) even over a 20 year period. But I can guarantee you that the economic decline, quality of life and loss of social interaction will be devastating to this community if Jury pool no longer exists, which will last forever. And forever is a really long time...
   This decision that you will make is historic, with your vote you will solidify your place in New Haven history. It will either be the City Council member that saved Jury Park & Pool or the City Council member that destroyed it. No other way to look at it...
   For those of you that are not making your City Council term a political career (and I believe none of you are... ) your time on Council will be over in a few years but please consider that your decision will last a lifetime.
   I implore you to vote yes, the few people that you are hearing from to vote no ... will never equal the historic devastation that this community will be hit with if and when Jury pool is bulldozed. I greatly appreciate the time you have given me.

A decision that will determine your legacy,

Lynne Isenbarger