On June 18 the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks released an Aquatic Development Plan which outlines four possible options for a public aquatics facility. The Department of Recreation and Parks is inviting public input on this plan, which can be viewed online at http://howardcountymd.gov/RAP/RAPDocs/Aquatics%20061808.pdf. Your comments can be emailed to the Director of Recreation and Parks, Gary Arthur, at GArthur@... .
Later this summer, perhaps September, the county will release an Aquatic Feasibility Study which promises to make recommendations on site selection, as well as recommendations for features and amenities of a public aquatics facility. It will be based, in part, on public input gathered this summer. The county promises to hold another public hearing once the feasibility study is released.
During the June 18 presentation, the county's consultant noted that outdoor pools offer more "bang for your buck" than indoor aquatic facilities when various expense and revenue (bottom line) considerations are taken into account.
I urge the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to consider the danger and "health costs" of such myopic thinking, and realize that the potential for public health and safety is so much greater with a year-round (i.e., indoor) facility than with a facility that is utilized for only 3 or 4 months a year. Tomorrow's health costs are just delayed costs that are sometimes difficult to measure in today's dollars.
I urge the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to consider the greatest good when they review options for such a facility, and I urge expansion of aquatics in Howard County to users of all ages by providing a venue that offers more than just recreation: make it one that will offer recreation, fitness, competition, aquatic therapy, and of course, swim instruction and water safety programming. Such a variety of programming truly does cater to the greatest good.
I urge the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to approve a 50-Meter (Olympic-size) Pool with a separate recreational/therapy (warmer) tank to enable all of the programming mentioned above.
I urge the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to consider a location that will offer the greatest access to the greatest number of county residents -- a central location within the county so that as many residents as possible can enjoy access to the county's only aquatic center.
I applaud members of the public arena who gave testimony on June 18 -- Allen Dyer, candidate for Board of Education, and Betty Frey, director of the Glenwood Senior Center -- in support of aquatics for their constituencies and beyond.
Mr. Dyer supports an Interscholastic High School Swim Program as well as Swim Instruction and Water Safety for all public school students. As Mr. Dyer stated, a public facility would promote access to aquatics for all county residents, not just students -- and he recommended that the Board of Education work with the Department of Recreation and Parks to make this project a reality.
Ms. Frey supports aquatics programming for seniors for obvious health benefits to a segment of the population least likely to exercise -- and noted that aquatics is a health issue, not just a recreational issue.
I also applaud County Council member Mary Kay Sigaty for attending the presentation and hearing. Not only did she become more educated on the issue and its options, she was able to witness public support for aquatics first hand.
I hope more public officials follow these leaders' example and attend future aquatics hearings so that they, too, can become more involved in this process and perhaps even help to forge partnerships between various county agencies (public schools, health, recreation/parks, aging, community college) and private groups (Columbia Association, Kimco and GGP). Forging such partnerships would demonstrate leadership, and more importantly, be a catalyst for bringing a much-needed public aquatics facility to Howard citizens sooner rather than later.
I encourage county residents to view the Aquatic Development Plan and submit input to Mr. Arthur, Director of Recreation and Parks, on aquatics in our community.
Diane Goodridge
Ellicott City, MD
CONTACT INFORMATION TO VERIFY LETTER SUBMISSION:
410-750-7636 or 410-903-7636
8525 High Timber Ct.
Ellicott City, MD 21043
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