RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) – Built in the early 1960s, the Cordova community pool complex at Hagan Park began to show its age on and below the surface as outlined in a May 2014 evaluation by Aquatic Commercial Consulting. The complex housed three distinct pools and closed the last pool in July 2015, forcing several power users and groups like the Cordova Blue Marlins, Cordova High’s swim team, and the Sacramento Synchronized Swim Team – the Cordettes- to move trainings, productions, and meets to other area pools. Also affected was the community at large who came for recreational swimming, to teach their children and grandchildren how to swim, or just to enjoy the pools.

                There is light at the end of a very long tunnel according to the presentation at Rancho Cordova City Hall on October 23^rd by Cordova Recreation and Park District (CRPD) and LPA, the consulting firm working on a new two pool project that is expected to break ground in 2019. The road has been bumpy and not always straight as many residents and pool enthusiasts know.

                The 2014 evaluation highlighted many problems with the half century old pool complex. Cosmetic blemishes could be remedied, but here were underlying problems with copper piping and the issue of how to bring the complex up to current codes and where the money would come from. Many community members wanted to simply repair the pools and renovate the mid-century era charm of the three pools, including the diving pool with its underground observation window permitting viewers to watch divers enter the water. Others, however, understood the costs associated with renovating and opted for a new pool.

                Pools, it turns out, aren’t money makers, yet they are used and desired by the community. Whether renovation or replacement, the pool was one of the main projects the community asked for during a series of workshops held in Rancho Cordova. In 2016, Measure J entered the picture, allowing the park district to obtain a $5 million dollar loan, said CRPD District Manager Patrick Larkin. That money, he added, would fund a one pool concept as presented to the community in February. The single pool would be for recreational swimming, said Larkin, effectively leaving out some of the pool’s largest stakeholders – Cordova High’s swim team, Cordova Blue Marlins, and the Cordettes.

                A contribution of an additional $3.4 million dollars from the City of Rancho Cordova allowed the district to reconceive the plan to include an additional pool with water features for children, a larger building, fixtures, and the expansion of the lap pool from eight to ten lanes, still four lanes short of what had been available in the original complex.

                “It’s a huge win for this community,” said Larkin. “The pool is a fixture in this community.”

                The original complex, he explained was “ahead of its time, a benchmark for other towns across the country,” and said that the three pool concept was popular with users. The diving pool with its observation window, the lap/competition pool, and the children’s wading area regularly drew people from inside and outside of the park’s expansive district. The new project may not include the nostalgia of bygone days, but it will be pools for the community, thanks in part to the contribution by the City of Rancho Cordova.

                “Our two agencies are working well together on a community-first model approach,” said Larkin.

                Community members, CRPD board members and staff, City of Rancho Cordova staff, members of the power user groups, and other interested parties filled the room to learn, most for the first time, of the two pool project presented by LPA staff Anthony Harris, Kevin Sullivan, Dennis Berkshire, and Arash Izadi. The event even included frosted cupcakes, a nod towards a community member at February’s meeting who wanted frosting on the cupcake, referring to wanting more than just a basic swimming pool.

                “We heard you,” said Sullivan, referencing the feedback received from the February community workshop. “A lot of what you talked about has been incorporated into this plan.”

                The PowerPoint presentation led attendees step by step through the project from a bird’s eye view of the pool complex as it would have been with water in the pools to several views of the project to a timeline and to potential enhancements that can be added at a later date.

                The lap/competition pool will be used by Cordova High’s swim team, Cordova Blue Marlins, and the Cordettes. The water is colder than that in the recreation pool which has space for lap swimming, water play features, and a zero depth entry.

                Potential enhancements include the possibility for shade canopy, a covered entrance, night lighting, and a scoreboard that was requested by a community member. Those items, explained Sullivan, will depend on the budget. Larkin also said after the presentation that he is seeking additional funding through private and corporate sponsorships, crowd sourcing, and partnerships. He has already contacted SMUD.

                Izadi showed slides of the current project as it is rendered with new pavement, a reoriented front entrance, a second entry for events. More filters, pumps, and other mechanical needs for the second pool, he explained, means expanding the building. The floor plan showed the ticket window, life guard station surrounded by glass permitting views to both pools, and the item that garnered the most excitement – fully operational, enclosed, and separate locker rooms.

                “Nice,” was heard from several people.

                Berkshire said that the lap pool will measure 75 feet by 60 feet and can accommodate water polo, meets, a variety of water aerobics, and will be used the by major groups. A full set of stairs along the one side of the shallow end of the pool will also be added. ADA compliant features for the pools include double handrails, lift, and the zero-depth entry of the recreation pool.

                “The entire pool deck will be at one consistent level,” said Izadi, who presented additional information about the project. This again drew a lot of community approval.

                Community input about the water features and other potential enhancements followed the presentation and many questions were asked about use, funding, and safety. Many people remained to engage with one another or with LPA or district staff.

                “This is where it should have been five years ago,” said one man.

                Cordova Blue Marlins Head Coach Amy Hanrahan wrote that she is “excited that the pool project is finally getting underway.” The team has been using Rosemont High School’s  pool and has had to hold smaller home meets or hold them at the competition’s pool.

                “It will be great to have our home pool back,” she wrote.

                Blue Marlins Parent Board President Stephanie Tadlock wrote that she is glad to see that more community needs will be met and that “being able to expand on the single pool concept from February’s presentation and add more features that will accommodate a wider variety of ages at the facility was a bonus to see included in the design.”

                For additional information, visit: http://crpd.com/wp-content/uploads/18_1023-Public-Workshop-2.pdf.