The city will investigate how it might alleviate the overflowing demand for pool space in St. Albert.
On Monday, council voted to spend $25,000 to examine the cost and feasibility of expanding the water park at Servus Place to include a lane swimming pool and swimming change room. The expansion would be added to an already established project that will look at altering change rooms and the fitness area to enhance the use of current space.
The proposed Servus Place expansion scope was narrowed to just the change rooms and floor space study during the 2016 budget deliberations, with staff meant to bring back a project charter for consideration during the 2017 budget discussions.
Coun. Sheena Hughes made the suggestion at Monday’s meeting of adding the swimming-related feasibility work, dropping part of her initial idea to also look at converting the play ice surface to a practice ice surface after a staff report suggested the latter would not be practical.
“What’s really obvious is we have a shortage of pool space,” Hughes said. “If we have four more lanes of swimming, that would make an enormous difference.”
When questioned by Coun. Cathy Heron – who suggested the narrowing of the project scope during the budget talks – Hughes said she was willing to consider a physical expansion of Servus Place.
Hughes said when the recreation centre was first built it seemed people didn’t want to look at expanding the building, but thinks now it’s at least worth a look to see how much it would cost to be able to add extra pool facilities.
Such an addition would not stop an additional pool from being built in several years’ time, she suggested. The city’s facility forecast model suggests a new aquatics facility or pool basin be built by 2023, with planning to likely start in 2021.
Community and protective services general manager Chris Jardine said work done on the proposed expansion of Servus Place in 2012 could be refreshed to see what the budget would look like now.
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he would prefer to take a holistic look at the issues around demands for pool space, including looking at the possibility of expanding Fountain Park or Servus Place.
“I just feel this is a reaction, a good reaction mind you, on the need for a pool,” he said, adding the city should investigate how many lanes are needed in general.
The motion to expand the scope of the project to look at the lane swimming pool and pool change rooms passed 4-2, with Heron and Crouse in the minority. Coun. Wes Brodhead was absent for the vote.
