Guthrie City Council members received an update Tuesday night on the design and construction plans for the Highland Park municipal pool, which has been closed since May 2023 due to deterioration and major leaks.
The Highland Park pool, originally built in the 1930s, was shut down after an assessment revealed multiple issues. In November 2023, the City of Guthrie contracted Carrouthers Construction to evaluate the structure and provide recommendations. Their findings showed the plumbing system was completely deteriorated for the 6,520-square-foot pool, making renovation necessary.
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Daniel Smith, project manager with GH2 Architects, outlined the proposed reconstruction plan. The project aims to retain the existing bathhouse and equipment building while demolishing the entire pool deck and parts of the existing pool shell. The new design will feature a significantly smaller, 1,527-square-foot pool with a zero-entry design, allowing easier access for all visitors. The deepest section will be approximately five feet, and the pool will include a variety of waterslides and spray features, making it more recreational and family-friendly.
Additional improvements will include a new ramp and stairs for better accessibility, reused and relocated shade structures, upgraded public restrooms, and new perimeter fencing around the pool. Bathhouse renovations will feature new showers, toilets, changing rooms, a family restroom, a lobby, vending machines, and doors. Updates to the equipment room will include new pool equipment, separate chemical storage rooms, window infill, and a new roof.
The proposed pool will accommodate up to 102 occupants at one time, a significant increase compared to the 30 daily visitors recorded before the closure by the Guthrie YMCA, who operates the pool. With the closure of the pool, the City allocated funds to allow citizens access to Pelican Bay in Edmond, with an average attendance of approximately 50 users per day in 2024.
Smith noted that maintaining such a large pool for such a small number of users was impractical.
Despite the modernized design, some residents are concerned about the size reduction. Martha Turner, Vice Chairman of the Guthrie Forestry and Park Board, shared that community members have expressed their worries about downsizing the pool to a quarter of its original size as Guthrie continues to grow.
“We had this presentation a couple of weeks ago,” Turner told the council. “I have had several citizens and several of the park board people would like to make note that we feel dropping the pool to a quarter of the size that it was is a big concern to us as our community grows.”
However, officials explained that the $2 million budget plays a crucial role in determining the scope of the project.
City Manager Eddie Faulker told the council, “When we looked at the pool and size, the visitors to the pool was a justification for the decrease (for the size of the pool). The budget is the big driver. The need to remodel the bathhouse and the chemical house that drives the cost up substantially.”
Aaron Stoops with Crossland Construction emphasized that 50-60% of the cost is allocated to the pool itself, with additional expenses tied to the necessary upgrades for the bathhouse and chemical storage facility. The redesign also ensures that the pool meets ADA compliance requirements for accessibility.
If plans proceed as scheduled, construction could begin as early as this summer, with the goal of opening the pool in 2026.
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A citywide survey was conducted in December 2023 to assess public interest in a new pool. The results showed that 62 participants considered the pool the “least important” priority, while 48 participants ranked it as the “most important.”
Based on the survey data, the CIP Oversight Committee, comprised of local citizens, reviewed and prioritized infrastructure projects before presenting them to the City Council. The pool ranked sixth on the list, following waterline and valve replacements, a second fire station, sewer line replacement, Owen Fields, and ADA accessibility improvements.
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Due to budget constraints of the sales tax, the CIP Oversight Committee recommended constructing a smaller-scale pool with the potential for future expansion as additional funding becomes available.
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