The New Haven Park & Recreation Department has presented a modified proposal for the Jury Park and Pool Renovation Project. They trimmed about $500,000 from last Fall's original proposal and feel this is the best compromise available. At the City Council meeting on May 13th, The proposed ordinance was voted on with a 4-3 result in favor of continuing the discussion. To approve an ordinance such as this, the Council has to vote three times and have a Public Hearing. The next vote will occur on Tuesday, June 10th.
   Prior to the Council voting again, the public has two opportunities to express their feelings. On Tuesday, May 27th at 7:00, there will be a City Council Meeting with Public Input on the Jury Park & Pool Renovation. It will be held in the City Council Chambers at 815 Lincoln Highway East in New Haven. Then on Tuesday, June 10th, there will be a Public Hearing along with the 2nd reading and voting of the Ordinance. Ken from the Park Board will present the results for the Public Survey along with other information concerning the project. The Park Board sent out over 4,500 survey packages a couple months ago to gather information on what our citizens are looking for from their park department. They received over 1,300 surveys back. This number alone shows that the citizens of New Haven ARE concerned about having their voice heard. Normally, marketers are lucky to get 1 or 2% return on a survey like this. The Park Department received close to 30% back. That's just incredible. Of the 1,300 surveys returned, there was an overwhelming majority of people that stated they wanted the pool replaced and/or expanded.
   Normally, with enthusiasm and support like this, you'd consider it a done deal. That's not the case. It will take the support and input from our community at these meetings to convince our City Council members that we do think this project is a good idea.  Typically, these meetings bring out the Chicken Little's of our community. No matter what anybody says, the sky is falling, the economy is terrible, this is a stupid idea, how dare you propose this?  We need to bring out overwhelming support for the project if we want to overshadow the naysayers. This will also help convince the Council members that are on the fence or currently against the project. I won't go as far as saying they're wrong in their opinions. They're only doing what they think is best for their constituents. Being financially conservative isn't a bad thing, but in this case, I think the research and support for the Jury Park project is indisputable. Sure, it would be great to build this without a bonding issue or spending anything on it. In reality, that just doesn't happen. We have the opportunity to keep building our community. New Haven is a great place to live, raise a family, and run a business. Let's keep it going in the right direction.

City Council Meeting with Public Input on Jury Park & Pool Renovation
Tuesday, May 27th at 7:00

Jury Park & Pool Proposal Public Hearing and City Council 2nd Reading of Proposal
Tuesday, June 10th at 7:00

All meetings will be held in the New Haven City Council Chambers - 815 Lincoln Hwy. East - New Haven

   I'm planning on pushing this blog to get community input on both the Jury Park project and the future Community Center planning.  Please feel free to comment and bring up issues. I'd like to stay focused on these projects. Opposing views are both welcomed and encouraged. In order to make informed decisions, we need to discuss all sides of the issues. It would be great to get an active, respectful, and productive conversation going. Any comments that aren't respectful and constructive will be deleted. Differing opinions are fine. Being rude won't be tolerated.

Craig

Recently the superintendent of the New Haven-Adams Township Parks Department presented a second proposal for a Jury Park and Pool renovation to the city council.  Last November the first proposal was voted down as the council chose to ignore recommendations by the park board and a community aquatics advisory committee that researched what citizens wanted in a new pool and what was working in similar cities.  In addition, the majority of people that spoke at the public hearing were in favor of the new aquatics center.  Unfortunately, all of this was not enough to break the unfounded biases of some council members. They seemed to only listen to those who complained the loudest that they didn't’t want a tax increase, even though it would only be about a dollar a week for the average household.

So why a new proposal already, and why still consider a costly project despite a downturn in the economy?  The current Jury Pool is in disrepair and may not even last through this season.  This is not because it wasn’t maintained well, but because the pool is over forty years old, has an outdated filtration system, and has already been in operation many more years than expected.  It is also not accessible to people with physical disabilities.  An update cannot wait unless we don’t want there to be any pool at all.  While some think this is a fine idea and a cheap solution, what then do we have to offer for the people that can’t afford to go on vacations due to the high cost of fuel and travel?  More and more people than ever before will likely stay closer to home making a day at the pool a relatively low-cost getaway.  And if we choose not to add innovative new things to our city, what will be the incentive for new families and businesses to move to New Haven or even stay there?

Left without much direction from the council, and a pool and bathhouse literally falling apart, the park board turned to an outside company to help conduct a scientific survey of the community this spring.  The independent firm chose random recipients and of the surveys sent out, 1322 were returned. This was three times as many needed to make the survey statistically valid.  From respondents that had an opinion on what to do with Jury Pool, 80% (940 of 1166 who answered the question) wanted it replaced with a similar pool or a larger pool with added features, versus removing the pool altogether or having something smaller in its place.  This was even with a preface to the question explicitly making people aware of the tax burden.  The majority also wanted a new pool in the same location and would be willing to pay more for admission to a pool with added features.  Even then, some people still want to complain that this scientific survey was unfair and inaccurate.

Yes, the newest proposal for a Jury Park and Pool renovation is only slightly scaled back from the initial recommendations, but only because that is what citizens said they wanted.  The new proposal also still includes renovations to the bathhouse to meet requirements for handicapped accessibility, increasing the number of parking spaces that are already lacking, making a large baseball diamond easier to get to, and adding a tennis court to have the five required for competition.  This would allow the New Haven High School tennis teams to actually have practice and matches in its own city instead of at Kreager Park in Fort Wayne.  The entire cost of the project is not only for a pool.

The people of New Haven deserve to know that unless you’re outwardly vocal and negative, some of the city council members will not value your opinion.  What kind of a city are we living in if its elected leaders will not listen to professional advice, research of an experienced park board and advisory committee, or even a scientific survey done with the help of an independent firm?  This ultimately means the council is ignoring the facts and most of the constituents they vowed to serve.  Instead they are being influenced only by a loud minority that wants to live in a city and have city amenities but without paying for them.

Kara Heine Laughlin, O.D.

Last night the New Haven Council voted down the financing for the Aquatic Center 5-2. It wasn't a surprise, unfortunately we've known for weeks how the vote would turn out. Mayor McDonald did a good job keeping things under control considering the extreme differing opinions in the room. It seemed like the opinions were fairly balanced in the room between "do it" and "don't do it", with a slight margin in favor of the project. There were heartfelt and intelligent comments both ways. The majority of people who don't want the Aquatic Center are still in favor of replacing the pool. But there's where the issue lies. This entire project has been a balancing act between spending more up front to make it an attraction - or spending less and possibly having to subsidize it more because of lack of interest. I think the Park Board came up with a very good business plan and compromise - obviously five of the Council members didn't.

So where do we go now?  That could be a problem.  There are a lot of issues that will affect this issue.
Losing Jury Pool would be a very sad thing for New Haven. It's been a part of why New Haven is a great place to raise a family for a long time. I know my wife and I really appreciated the pool and craft programs when our son was growing up. I'd really like to see that still available for new families in our community.

There were so many people last night saying that we shouldn't spend so much money for a facility that's only open 3 months a year. But that's the idea. That's when our kids have little else to do. That's when we need to find ways to keep them entertained in a wholesome, healthy environment.

I don't blame the council members who voted against the project. I'm sure they felt they were doing what they felt was correct. This project wasn't perfect. There were a lot of things that still needed work. But that's how projects are. I was willing to believe in the Park Board's capacity to figure out solutions to the issues that still needed addressing. Hopefully, they'll rebound and come up with an alternative that will make more people happy. Let's keep up the discussion. Maybe someone will come up with the "perfect" plan. 

I received this well thought out letter in the mail concerning the Aquatics Center and I asked Kara to add it to the blog for everyone to read. She has a lot of very good points.

I am writing you as a former lifeguard, current health professional, and concerned New Haven property owner regarding the proposed new Aquatic Center.  As recently as this past August I witnessed the dilapidated state of the current Jury Pool and was somewhat embarrassed for our park board and community.  I was embarrassed that only three out of six toilets worked in the girls’ bathroom, embarrassed at how cloudy the water looked due to a filtration system that is in disrepair, embarrassed that there are huge irreparable chunks of concrete missing out of the sides of the pool, embarrassed that the public address system inexplicably buzzes uncontrollably and is difficult to understand, and embarrassed at how few of the overhead lights worked during the night rental.  It is somewhat obvious that action needs taken soon, and minor repairs are an impossible solution.

Not too many years ago, as the Head Lifeguard,  I remember getting compliments all the time about how clean and nice Jury pool was, how great it was that we had a high dive and large water slide, amenities that other pools in the area did not have.  These were comments coming from people sometimes driving an hour each way to visit our pool. I can assure you, Jury has not been a “community pool” for a long time.  In my more than ten summers working there, I have already seen it as a “destination” facility.  Unfortunately, now the main thing bringing patrons to this destination is the fact that it is ridiculously cheap.  However, wouldn’t it be nice if outsiders were coming to Jury again because we have the best pool around with more amenities than can be found anywhere else?   For example, the proposed splash pad, lazy river, slides, and play structures, and still the best swimming lessons in the area.  And what if these people were coming here paying a competitive price, spending their money not only at the pool, but other New Haven businesses?

I also had the opportunity to serve on the Community Aquatic Advisory Committee (CAAC) that for over a year researched possibilities for the replacement of Jury Pool.  This involved extensively asking the public what they wanted.  Contrary to what some citizens say at public hearings, the results of our surveys and questioning found the community is overwhelmingly in support of a facility of this nature with the amenities previously mentioned, and having NO pool in the current location was strongly discouraged.  In addition, the committee found that a community of our size, in the seasonal Midwest, can support an aquatic facility like the one being presented, and have it be financially self-sufficient, if not a money maker.  Unfortunately, the most outspoken opponents to this project complain they do not want to spend this much money on an outdoor pool.  However, they fail to realize that research by the CAAC finds that both smaller pools, even the size of the current pool, and indoor pools do NOT turn a profit, and indoor pools are much more expensive to build.  Building a “scaled-down” version of the proposed project will actually cost MORE money in the long-run as operating costs outweigh revenue every year.  In addition, cities in warmer climates still have only three month seasons for their pools due to the fact they just do not get used during the busy school year, regardless of the weather.

I know the issue has also been raised about the possibility of a community center in New Haven, and unfortunately some people want to pit these projects against each other.  In recent years we have seen a lot of money in our city go towards projects like a new downtown, a new football stadium, new city hall and police station, new roads, a new city maintenance facility, a new library, and new fire station.  All of these are great projects that make our town physically look good and function efficiently.   However, as an optometrist working in the health care industry, this disappoints me, because at the same time there are people that do not want to put forth the money or the effort to improve ourselves physically.  I see patients almost every day with eye damage from type II diabetes; it is the number one cause of blindness in our country, and almost totally preventable with diet and exercise.  This is true for a multitude of other common health problems and top killers in the United States: heart disease, strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure and cholesterol, not to mention all the problems caused by obesity.  All of these conditions are on the rise, and alarmingly in children as well.  The fact of the matter is if we are not proactive now in using our tax money to create more enjoyable and convenient recreation and workout facilities, both indoors and outdoors, it only ends up costing us later.  When people have not developed good health habits and are not taking care of themselves physically, the health aliments mentioned earlier result in everyone forking out tax dollars to support Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security Disability.

I believe our questions here should not revolve around whether or not to do these projects at all, or which one, but rather, how can we make both a reality keeping in mind that the current Jury Pool may not last another season.  The estimated tax rate impact is relatively low, just a little over a dollar a week for the average New Haven home.  This is little to ask considering the fact that we deserve a community that is a healthier, more fun, unique, and overall desirable place to live and raise our families.  Please support the new Jury Aquatic Center and what makes good business sense for New Haven by speaking out at the public hearing before the City Council on November 13^th at 7:00 pm

Best regards,
Kara Heine Laughlin, O.D.

I'll try to answer some of New Haven Resident's questions.

1- Is the proposed center an indoor or outdoor facility? If it is outdoors, we should consider the justification of spending over $5 million on a facility open only 3 months a year. Even if it makes some money, residents will be asked to pay additional tax money for something that cannot be used 3/4 of the year... reminds me a little bit about something involving Fort Wayne and a baseball stadium - albeit on a smaller scale.

The proposed Aquatics Center is an outdoor facility. They've been basing their business plan on a three month season, although the splash pad usage could be extended past that if it's included in the build. The two projects are similar in the fact that they'd both stimulate economic growth. Where they differ is that the pool would be entirely owned and operated by New Haven. The Harrison Square project is costing Fort Wayne a lot of money, but Hardball Capitol is going to reap most of the rewards. Granted, if everything works as they hope it will, Fort Wayne will benefit by enhancing downtown. I'd have a hard time justifying what they approved though. In comparison, the pool looks like a brilliant plan.  I do believe the Park Board is looking out for the best interests of New Haven. The plan they've proposed was put together from citizen action groups, many meetings and much study. That's not to say it can't still be modified. That's why we're trying to get input.

2- Has a community center been studied that could also house an aquatic center? A community center would allow the aquatic complex to operate year round. It could also be used for meetings, an indoor community athletic complex, and a facility that could be rented for wedding receptions or company parties. Something that could be compared to a YMCA. Of course a study should be done to be sure that it is a fiscally sound plan.

Absolutely. A community center is being studied right now. The Park Board / City is anticipating a commitment from a local company to donate property off U.S. 24 with the restriction that it only be used for a community center. The way I understand it, major corporations are receptive to contributing to year-round community centers. The Park Board would pursue corporate funding, grants and sponsorship if the land deal goes through. Community pools don't get the same benefits. They are almost always up to the community to pay for.  The problem with including an indoor pool or water park in the community center is construction costs and maintenance. The heating, cooling and dehumidification systems needed to run an indoor facility are very, very expensive. Ken and the board did a lot of research on this very topic and found that almost all the area indoor facilities were losing money - and most of them quite a bit of money. It would be great to get the community center going. I was one of the volunteers pushing the community center 10 or 15 years ago here in New Haven. There just wasn't enough public approval at that time to get it done.

3- If the aquatic center is proposed to be a year-round operated, indoor facility, has anyone from the private sector stepped forward with interest in taking on this project themselves? If there is really money to be made, private businesses should be fighting over who wins the race to break ground and get their facility running first.

I haven't heard of any private concerns proposing anything like this. Again, it's a huge expenditure for an indoor water park. That's not to say it won't happen some day. It just isn't on the table now. When the Park Board says the Aquatics Center would turn a profit, it's different from when I make decisions for our printing company. If you consider the capitol expenditure to build the facility, then added the operating costs, it wouldn't be capable of paying back both the loan and daily costs to run the park. In other words, a city project like this will never actually be "profitable". It's considered a cost to improve the quality of life in our community. The cost of building the facility would fall on the city and taxpayers.  What they've focused on is being profitable as far as the operating costs to run the facility. It's possible the profits from the Aquatic Center could be used to pay back part of the bond, or it would be saved to pay for future improvements and maintenance. What I'm basically saying is that as a businessman, I wouldn't invest the money to build this expecting to turn a profit. If a private concern did build a water park, they would be charging $15 to $30 per person to use it.  The Park Board's focus is to maintain a community pool, but add enough amenities to draw sufficient people to cover operating expenses. The current pool is paid for, but it's losing a lot of money because of low draw and maintenance/repair issues.

4- What is the proposed range in possible use costs for residents? Other community aquatic centers have been studied. What are they charging people to use the facility? Is it $4, $7, $10, $15 per child per visit? In other words, is this a place that people will be able to afford to visit on a weekly basis over the course of a summer.

Ken's business plan is based on charging $3.00 per person, but of course that is subject to change. Currently, the fee is $1.50 at the Jury Pool. There are plans to offer New Haven / Adams Township taxpayers some kind of resident discounts that would let the people who are paying for the facility to use it at a much lower rate than people from outside this area. They want to keep it a community pool that people can afford to use. That's been a given since day one.

Hopefully this answers a few of your questions and probably brings up more. I urge everyone to attend the City Council Meeting / Public Hearing on Tuesday night, November 13th.  Let's keep the discussions going.

Thanks,
Craig

Probably the hottest topic being discussed in New Haven right now is the Jury Pool project. The pool at Jury Park is already at the point where we won't be able to keep it open much longer. It's served us well for 40 years, but the structure, buildings, pumping and filtration systems are done. The only way to keep a pool in that park is to tear it out and start over. Ken Wilkinson (Director of Parks and Recreation) and the New Haven Park Board have been working on this project for well over two years. They organized a citizen's advisory committee to help research what our community really needs, wants, and can afford. Their current proposal is a culmination of this research. The proposed Aquatics Center would include: zero entry access area for smaller children, seniors and handicap access; a lazy river where people can float on inner tubes or use for exercise by walking against the current; a large water slide; splash pad area; play structures; a regulation laned pool for the swim team and lessons; and new locker rooms with privacy and ADA compliance. I haven't heard anyone say we shouldn't rebuild the pool. It's a critical part of what makes New Haven a great place to live. The issue is whether we should just replace the pool with basically what is already there (at a cost of $1.5 to $2 million dollars), or build the Aquatics Center at a cost of around $5.4 million dollars. Either decision will affect our tax bills. The full blown proposal would increase taxes on a home with an appraised value of $125,000 about $46.84 per year. A home appraised at $175,000 would see an increase of $77.26. This is where the uproar comes from. Everyone I've talked to wants the fully featured pool. Nobody wants their taxes to raise. The city can't do one without the other.  We could just rebuild the pool to the same specification we have now (with the modifications to make it current), including new ADA compliant locker rooms and construction. The question then would be "will people come"? Currently, the Jury pool costs the Park Department (which is the tax payers - us) about $75,000 a year more than it brings in. This is because of the critical care necessary to keep it open and the fact that it just isn't "as fun" anymore to go to a plain pool without features. It's hard to attract (and charge) people just to get wet anymore. The bar has been risen. The Park Board and their consultants have researched several similar aquatics centers and have found that in order to make a profit, you need to have certain features. Instead of losing $75 to $100,000 a year, their business plan actually has the new Aquatics Center turning a profit. A rebuilt pool might draw more people than the current pool, but they still project an operating loss if the amenities aren't included in the project. Here's where we need to figure out the perfect balance. Actually, there might not be one. Even the $5.5 million dollar project doesn't include everything people wanted. It's a compromise of cost vs. return - both in income and in enjoyment of it's patrons. We need to be fiscally responsible, but is it better to pay less for the project, but have it cost us more in operating costs for the next 20+ years? Do we build a facility that can't accommodate smaller kids, seniors and handicapped without the zero depth access? I've been a resident of New Haven for over 25 years and have raised a family here. I know the value of a community pool and the amount of enjoyment my family has received from Jury. I'd like to see that available for everyone else living in our wonderful community. There are issues to be resolved, but I think the Aquatics Center is a good idea. The final project hopefully can be done for less than the maximum proposal, but I see the center as a great way to pull our community together, promote economic development by making New Haven a destination, and increasing the quality of life for our current and future residents. Nothing is free, but the health and social aspects of this project (in my opinion) make it worthwhile to invest in.

You can get involved and let your feelings be heard in a couple different ways. I'm distributing packets door to door this weekend to every house in our district. There will be a survey in that packet where you can let us know what you think. It can either be mailed back to me, faxed to my office (493-3579), emailed to council@newhavenprint.com or you can call me at 460-7161. The results of the survey will be given to the City Council members as a indicator of where the 3rd District stands.

The second way you can participate is to attend the next City Council meeting (Public Hearing) on Tuesday night, November 13th at 7:00. It will be at the City Building on Lincoln Highway. This will be another opportunity for the public to speak out in favor for or against the project. The City Council has to decide whether to approve the bond proposal. Your input would be appreciated.

I would LOVE for this blog to become a discussion area for New Haven issues and events. It really doesn't cause you any pain to respond or comment on this blog. No charge. It would be a wonderful way for us to communicate and share opinions. The facts and details of this project are huge. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment. I'd be glad to answer whatever I can. If I don't know the answer, I'll find out.