To the Editor:

Our John Day City Council and Parks and Rec board volunteers have done everything you would expect and demand of elected officials to plan for a public pool. It’s been a long and inclusive process going on for years.

Gleason Pool was constructed in 1958 and financed with a bond paid for by John Day property owners. In 1997 (25 years ago!), a development plan called for building a Kam Wah Chung interpretive center at the site of Gleason Pool, and for a new pool to be constructed elsewhere. A study of possible sites concluded that the best location would be the northwest section of the Seventh Street Sports Complex. In 2009, another plan stated that it would be more cost-effective to build a new pool than to continue to refurbish a facility that was already 50 years old!

Our city council and parks and recreation district began to act on this information in 2017. The city organized a steering committee. They held information sessions and sought public input. In 2018, the city conducted a feasibility study and hired an architectural firm to prepare design and cost appraisals. Plans were shared and comments sought at town halls, open houses, and council meetings.

In the end, a modest but adequate design was chosen that includes required features such as ADA-accessible restrooms, offices, mechanical rooms, and a multipurpose room. The 25-yard, six lane pool can be used for competitions, lessons and recreation. The reinforced concrete pad could support an enclosure for future year-round swimming.

I would expect no less of our public officials than to use experts, collect citizen input, evaluate options, and develop a solid proposal that will serve our community. They did their due diligence. The plan is not extravagant or excessive. It will meet the needs of our community now and for the next generations.

The 1997 report stated, “The John Day facility would be utilized on a daily basis and would breathe life into the community and the county.”

That is still true today in 2022. Build the pool. For our kids. For our future.

Chris Cronin

John Day