New Iowa City pool will satisfy no one

There seems to be a bait-and-switch between the City Park Pool design that the public chose (after exhaustive discussion and compromise among varied interests) and the final City Park Pool Design recently submitted by Iowa City’s Parks and Recreation Deptarment and approved by the Iowa City Council.

This pool design satisfies none of the requested interests submitted by the public: water walking space, a sufficient number of long course (50 meter) lap swim lanes, deep water aerobics space, a connected swim space for families with toddlers and older children, short course (25 yard) lap lanes, water features such as slides or the lazy river from the last plan, deep water play options (without slides or diving boards) to promote learning to swim.

The most simple and most cost-effective solution would be to use the current pool footprint—that is already working for most of the features requested by the public above—while turning one shallow wing into a zero-entry option.

While the University of Iowa has taken low-cost opportunities for exercise and wellness away from taxpayers within the last decade, let’s make sure Iowa City is supporting the mission of allowing an aging population opportunities for low-impact, aquatic exercise as well as spaces for equitable access to learn to swim. Iowa City already has an historically significant pool in the middle of a beautiful oak grove in Upper City Park that satisfies more of the requested needs of the public than the latest iteration of the new pool design.

Deb Tunwall

Iowa City