Plans for aquatics center unveiled

The Kootenai Wellness and Aquatic Center (KWAC) committee unveiled three potential community pool designs for the public Oct. 22, just weeks after announcing the grassroots effort in Libby.

Held in the boardroom of Central School, the event drew in droves of curious residents. The city has gone without a pool since the Libby Racquet Club closed in 1984. Attempts to get widespread support for an aquatic facility since then have met with failure.

In circuit fashion, KWAC members greeted the attendees, handed out surveys and gave elevator pitches about three potential pool designs crafted with Libby in mind.

Designing for the pool began in May and were produced by Counsilman-Hunsaker of Texas and CTA Architects Engineers out of Kalispell. Miklos Valdez of Counsilman-Hunsaker was available at the meeting to address questions and concerns about the preliminary designs.

Option one is a year-round facility designed to accommodate users of all ages. It includes a heated therapy pool, with temperatures about 90 degrees, and an accessible lift, a four-lane lap pool, splash pad and ample support space — locker rooms, offices, a multi-purpose room.

The second option also is designed for year-round use and includes a four-lane lap pool with temperatures around 84 degrees. The design incorporates a multi-purpose room intended for parties, meetings, training exercises and other events.

Both options boast climate control abilities, retractable doors and windows that open for nice summer days and close in winter to conserve heat.

The final design, option three, is a seasonal use pool likely operating three to four months a year. It includes a four-lane lap pool and support space similar to the other two options. Lacking windows, the facility suffers constant air circulation and therefore offers no way to retain heat during the colder months.

KWAC intends to build the pool in a vacant lot situated between East Lincoln Boulevard and Libby City Hall. The property KWAC wants to build on is owned by Port Authority, but they could potentially build on city property in a grassy lot outside of City Hall. Supporters hope city council will back the mill levee and possibly agree to transfer the land to KWAC as the group’s plans come to fruition.

But City Councilman Ron Dufficy said he would not vote in favor of the pool owing to potential liability issues.

“I don’t want the city anywhere near this.” Dufficy said. “I’m not being negative, I’m just being realistic.”

Stacy Bender, KWAC member, said donors already have pledged to financially back the complete cost of construction.

“There are benefactors already in place that love this community and want to come together to build this facility,” Bender said.

For an outdoor pool — option three — construction costs are estimated to be around $5.2 million. Annual expenses are estimated to range between $250,000 to $370,000. But supporters expect to recover between 60 and 80 percent of the cost from revenue.

Officials believe cost recovery likely will be higher for option three because that pool is seasonal.

To construct option two, architects and engineers estimate it will cost $7.7 million, with annual expenses running anywhere from $340,000 to $630,000. Committee members said that revenue would cover between 30 and 50 percent of expenses.

With the most amenities, option one is estimated to cost $9.8 million, with annual expenses somewhere between $380,000 and $650,000. Cost recovery similar to option two, being between 40 and 60 percent.

“Once we find out what the community wants, and can get behind, then we will have a better idea about those [operating and maintenance] costs,” said Bender.

Were the pool turned over to the city, as supporters hope, and taxpayers covered the cost for annual expenses, property owners could see between $32 and $92 added to their tax bill. The amount depends on the value of the landowners’ properties, and is based on taxpayers paying for all operating expenses at the facility. User fees would offset those costs, said KWAC member Tony Petrusha.

KWAC members stressed that the goal of the aquatic center is increasing wellness for the community. Asked about towns similar to Libby with aquatics facilities, Petrusha noted, “Polson and Whitefish each have indoor pool facilities.”

The committee collected 68 surveys during the event.

“It was an excellent turnout, I was ecstatic,” said Petrusha.

The KWAC committee plans to post the survey online using SurveyMonkey to gather more information on what Libby residents prefer for an aquatics center. Petrusha said the comment period will close Nov. 20 and the committee will move into the next phase of planning.

In the meantime, Petrusha and the KWAC team are trying to spread the word.

“We are looking for groups who would like somebody to give them a 10-minute presentation,” Petrusha said. “We’re game — we will go all out to get the word out and take input.”

Community groups interested in scheduling a KWAC presentation should email the committee at kwaclibby@gmail.com.