Planners’ building schedule to pursue new aqua facility

The first of many public meetings between Sidney residents and Doug Whiteaker from Water Technology, Inc. and Jeff King with Ballard*King and Associates regarding their creation of Sidney’s new swimming pool or aquatics center commenced at City Hall yesterday afternoon.

In attendance were city representatives, city council members, members of the community, as well as representatives from the Cheyenne County Community Center. Community Center officials have been working with the city on the project regarding to what extent to incorporate the new aquatics facility with the center.

“We now know that the community definitely has thrown its support strongly toward constructing a new pool or aquatics center. This is all about the planning aspect of it and where we are going to drive this project. What it is going to look like, where it will be located and so forth,” Gary Person, City of Sidney City Manager said.

Doug Whiteaker said that a project like this could change a city.

“This project is a life-changer. When you look at having a child or grandchild and how it changes your life, having a great aquatic facility can be like that for a community,” he said.

Whiteaker said that it’s important when building an aquatics center to get the right features to appeal to most of the community.

“It’s very critical to get the right components for the community because each community is different and each community values differently what the components are going to be,” Whiteaker said. “It’s really important to make it sustainable for your community.”

Jeff King with Ballard*King and Associates, a recreation facility planning and operation-consulting firm, said that his team will focus on market analysis based on three variables.

The team will dive into statistical information and data regarding demographics of the service area, evaluate what other businesses in the area provide recreational services and listen to vast amounts of public input.

“We want to make sure that this is sustainable for the city of Sidney long-term,” King reinforced to residents and city officials.

Whiteaker said that what kind of programs the community would like to see also plays a big role in deciding what components to add to the pool or aqua center.

Classes such as Learn to Swim classes for younger kids or water fitness classes for adults and seniors could require additional pool space apart from a more demanding area for recreational water sports.

“Swimming is a life-long activity; it’s really important to be able to use the water. The faster growing user group in aquatics is people over 50. They go to doctors and if they haven’t been active their whole life, sometimes they need to start exercising. That’s good to do in water,” Whiteaker said.

Whiteaker said that aquatic centers also promote family togetherness. Parents get to introduce their children to the water and be social with one another; it’s a place for family and friends, he said.

Regardless of the components, the pool or aquatics center has to be multigenerational, Whiteaker said.

Meeting attendees were asked to fill out a survey of which components they found most important. They were asked to number one through five which components they felt are top priority with the new center.

Components included, a zero depth entry, adult whirlpools, colder water lane pools and warmer water lane pools, wellness pools, water slides, lazy rivers, underwater benches, a pleasing ‘wow’ décor factor and the list went on.

Whiteaker said that the team realizes the project must reflect a balance of environmental, financial and social sustainability.

Three sites have been proposed so far for the project. Those sites include the existing pool site, a site where the current skate park and tennis courts are, as well as a site area just east of the t-ball fields, according to John Hehnke.

Some community members raised the idea that incorporating the new water facility with the Cheyenne County Community Center would be ideal so that they could combine water fitness into their workout seamlessly.

Thoughts of creating a new community center facility in another location combined with the aquatics center are being discussed also.

Mike Namuth, director of the Cheyenne County Community Center, said that the center is at or is near capacity right now. He said he hopes to be able to at least expand the fitness center before the new aquatics aspect would be introduced to the community.

Whiteaker said that feedback from this meeting, being only the first of three, will create a basis on which more serious planning can begin.

“We plan on taking all the information assembled in this meeting and bringing it back for you to review in about three to four weeks,” Whiteaker said.

He also informed the group that the team hopes to receive more input from the public and that more people are encouraged to join the informational sessions as the project progresses.

“These sessions are very important to invite your friends, neighbors and other community members to so we can get as broad an input as possible,” Whiteaker said.