WELLINGTON NORTH – The concept designs for a new outdoor pool in Mount Forest are in and residents will have the opportunity to provide input at a March 23 public meeting.
Presented to the recreation, parks and leisure committee in February, two designs focus on recreation and swim-focused concepts, respectively, and a third offers a combination of both.
The recreation-focused design includes two swim lanes, a “beach entry” beginning right at the pool deck and sloping to a flat aquafit area, water jets, a bubble/therapy bench, diving board, change rooms and a large family change area.
The swim-focused design adds two swim lanes, teaching steps, and has a play area with water jets, a large flat area for aquafit, deep-end diving board, and gender-specific change rooms, including a family change room.
The hybrid option has three swim lanes, a beach entry with a dump bucket, aquafit area, rock wall, diving board, and a universal change room.
In the designs, swim lanes are 25-metres long, and the depth of flat areas, including swim lanes, would be between 3.1 and 3.5 feet. The “deep end” would likely be around nine feet.
Township operations director Matt Aston said during the committee meeting that all three designs, ranging upwards of $5 million, exceeded what the township was planning for.
Aston suggested a fundraising committee could adopt add-ons like climbing walls which ring in at $32,000 or sunshades, costing $15,000.
Council has endorsed around $575,000 for a detailed pool design in 2022, but anything beyond that is subject to future budget approval.
The job for designing a new pool to replace the old Lion Roy Grant pool was awarded to Toronto-based architectural firm Tillmann Ruth Robinson Inc. last fall.
The new pool would be constructed off Princess Street near the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex.
An in-person public meeting has been set for March 23 at the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex from 5:30 to 7pm, during which representatives from Tillmann Ruth Robinson Inc. will present concept designs.
Attendees will be able to browse the designs and ask questions at the public meeting, Aston said, but comments will be formally submitted on paper with a survey component.
With public input taken into account, ultimately a preferred design will be chosen by the recreation, parks and leisure committee in either May or June with a recommendation going to council for a vote.
Although the township doesn’t have the capacity to livestream or record the public meeting, the township is planning to publish the presentation slide deck online with a possible online survey to gather feedback.
