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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA009 - Letter from Holly Fuchs dated May 8, 2007 - in favor of locating aquatic Center at Middle School Site To: Ames Mayor Ann Campbell Ames City Council Maggie Luttrell, ex. off. Ryan Doll Matthew Goodman Jami Larson Riad Mahayni Jim Popken Dan Rice From: Holly Fuchs 806 Brookridge Ave. Ames, IA 50010-5835 515/233-2140 home 51 5/231-8996 cell holly.fuchs@gmail.com Re: Outdoor Aquatic Center (Agenda Item 26a-c Council Action Form May 8, 2007) Date: May 8, 2007 Dear Ames Mayor and City Council members: I favor locating any Outdoor Aquatic Center at the Middle School site because: 1. The Middle School site is not a flood plain, so we don't risk contaminating the Squaw with chemicals or other matter from the pool in the event of flooding if we build a pool there. I am appalled at the thought of spending millions to build a pool on fill above a floodway where only "the main part of the pool will be out of the flood plain" according to Mark Land ("WHAT ABOUT FLOODING?", Tribune, May 3, 2007, p. A6) and all access to it is likely to be flooded. Carr's Pool site appears less likely to flood less than the 13th Street site (see photos from April 26, 2007.) 2. Developing the Middle School site is estimated to be cheaper by $563,800 ($325,000 for grading and $238,000 for environmental enhancements) than developing the13th Street site. 3. Since there is already a pool near the 13th Street site, investing city funds at the Middle School site strengthens two neighborhoods, not one. 4. 1 do support infill but not at the expense of the environment. For this reason I support leasing the 13th Street site from ISU for an extended bike and walking path (estimated cost $75,000), partnership opportunities with the Ames School District for soccer fields, perhaps even a softball field, apply erosion control measures to the Squaw if desired, and continue bird watching (turkey vultures), kite flying as well as sledding opportunities. RGD lists two disadvantages of the Middle School Site. I do not find them compelling disadvantages. The first disadvantage listed is the "geographic location is not convenient to all Ames citizens (see Site Location Proximity Maps)". Since I found RGD's maps too small to read on either the handouts at the "pool parties" or on the internet, even with 300 %magnification, I did my own distance assessment based on Story County's map of Ames' precincts, deciding that Wards 1 and 2 are closer to the 13th Street site except for precinct W1 P1 (62.5% closer to 13th Street site) and Wards 3 and 4 are closer to the Middle School site except for W4 P2 (equally divided) and W4 P4 ( 0 % closer to the Middle School). When I added up the registered voters as of November 2006, 1 found 24,834 registered voters were closer to the 13th Street site and 20,565 were closer to the Middle School site. This is a difference of 4,268 registered voters closer to the 13th Street site out of 45,399 registered voters, less than 10%. 1 do not think that building a pool at a site that is closer now to 10% of the registered voters is a compelling reason to spend more money and build on a flood plain. Growth is to the west. I also checked out how these areas compared in terms of the 31.7% registered voters, 14, 408, of them, who voted in Ames last Nov. 2006. There were 8, 175 who lived closer to the 13th Street Site and 6, 233 who lived closer to the Middle School site, a difference of 1,942 actual voters or 13.5% of the actual voters. Again, I do not think that building a pool at a site that is closer now to 14%of the registered voters is a compelling reason to spend more money and build on a flood plain. Where will future voters live? The second disadvantage given by RDG as a problem with the Middle School Site is that it is "less visually accessible". I don't understand that concern. I can see the site from both the south when on Mortensen and from the north where Dotson Drive ends. If I were swimming I would LIKE to be less visually accessible! Since another important concern is to decide to do something Ames voters will support so we don't waste city monies on an election, I went around my neighborhood last night to see how my neighbors felt about the location of an Aquatic Center. I knocked on 34 doors and talked to 28 people. Twenty-three of the 28 people (over 82%) favored the Middle School site. Five out of the 28 favored the 13th Street site (18%). My daughter is talking about those figures. I want to talk about the comments I heard. Of those who favored the Middle School site: Two said "We are happy to build wherever but feel the Middle School site is the better choice." One continued and said "Ames should take a more aggressive stance in protecting our environment. For example, we should protect our aquifer, our water supply, not allow hog lots in Story County, have formulas that for so much solid concrete poured there must be so many rain gardens established. " Another said "Ames should NOT build on the 13th Street Site. We should build an indoor facility or it will be a waste of our taxpayers' money and the city's resources." Parents with 3 young children want the pool at the Middle School because they enjoy watching the turkey vultures who nest in the pine woods. Another set of parents with 3 young children who go to Nevada, prefer the pool at the Middle School site but want to see the 13th Street site used for things that can stand flooding because it is a lovely area yet not used very much. Another person said the 13th Street site is a lovely site, why ruin it? Of those who favored the 13th Street site: One thought too much money had been spent on the Middle School already, the Ames High School and its pool are going to be rebuilt in 10 years (so a pool there is a good idea to have something when the school leaves), politicians like to spend dollars (so why fight for something that is less expensive), and suggested that a beach be put at Ada Hayden Park, life guards hired, and swim in natural waters which are better for you. A second person thought there were a lot of private pools in west Ames so there would not be so many pool users if the Outdoor Aquatic Center were built at the Middle School site, it is too far for kids to bike, it's already decided, the city has a habit of building on flood plains, we waste dollars and Nevada laughs at us for their pool was built more cheaply than ours (I checked that: the Nevada pool is 13,600 square feet costing about 2.6 million dollars in 2001 so it cost about $191.17/square foot for the pool, the bathhouse, and the pump -- if Ames includes its lap pool it is 1,400 square feet larger, plus the Lazy River with 5,000 square feet making it about 47% larger than Nevada's Fawcett Family Aquatic Center... which also includes 4 slides, sprays, sand pits, and volley ball space costing $160/season for a family with no more than 5 members.) He also thinks Ames' maintenance of park facilities is poor. A third wanted it on 13th Street because she thinks the flood plain can be handled. She is concerned about the maintenance by schools and thinks the maintenance by the city is marginally better. A fourth just likes the 13th Street site. A fifth does not want to support the Middle School site because he is concerned about what the city allowed to happen out west with all the apartments and how it impacts the central Ames housing, where so many rental properties are for sale. For the above reasons and because I think there needs to be more discussion before we can be assured that a bond issue of any kind will pass I favor alternatives 5 or 6.