Recap from NTC Aquatic Center Workshop #1. City Survey Due Oct 4th.
IMPORTANT! Please Read Below
Survey Link: https://engage.counsilmanhunsaker.com/ntc-park-aquatic-center
Hello Friend and Neighbor -
You may have heard that the City of San Diego is considering building an aquatic center at Liberty Station. They are calling this project the NTC Aquatic Center. This project has been under consideration for close to 21 years! I have been involved in a volunteer community group, San Diego Aquatic Center Council (SDACC), trying to work with the City for the past eight years (!) to try to get this project moving forward.
We reached a major milestone this past Thursday with the aquatic center project, when the City of San Diego conducted their first community workshop to kickoff the project and encourage discussion. The City also used this workshop to present two design concepts they are proposing and get community feedback. At first glance, these concepts look fantastic, as they would appear to serve Point Loma and Ocean Communities very nicely. What we have learned these past eight years though, is that the need for usable aquatic facilities goes far beyond our local neighborhoods. There is a huge demand from our neighboring communities, as well as throughout San Diego, to have access to a facility such as the NTC Aquatic Center. Unfortunately, the proposed design concepts were designed without considering this larger need and thus, are grossly inadequate for the entire region surrounding Liberty Station. These concepts would merely serve the small local community and would be quickly overrun with demand...frustrating everyone that we didn't do a better job of planning and building for more water in the first place. We must view this facility as a regional facility and build it accordingly.
The City has prepared an online survey (link below) for the community to use to respond to their design concepts and the project as whole. Please take a moment to fill this survey out to share your views. The survey is very limited, as it makes it seem that you only have two concepts from which to choose, and no choice to suggest something more or better (the design concepts are shown on the survey). They do provide additional free space in which to comment as to other needs and wishes. It is in this area that we are requesting your help and consider asking the City to expand the scope of the project. Please consider filling out the survey and, if you agree that it is important, please include the following bullet points into the open comment sections.
Survey Link: https://engage.counsilmanhunsaker.com/ntc-park-aquatic-center
EXPAND THE FOOTPRINT - We are asking the City to expand the footprint by adding an additional 50 meter competition pool. We are also asking the City to replace the proposed children’s splash pad with a pool designed for children’s instructional swimming, as well as senior aquatics programming.
When we look at the concepts proposed by the City, it would appear that this aquatic center is what we dreamed of for the Point Loma and Ocean Beach communities. It would serve our communities very nicely. But when we look at the region as a whole, to our neighboring communities who don’t have access to a facility such as this, we must realize that this facility must be able to serve them as well. This region includes Downtown San Diego, Midway-Pacific Highway, the Mission Valley corridor, Mission Hills, Clairemont, and Mission Beach. From that perspective, as well as looking at the various aquatic programming necessary - recreational, instructional, well-being, senior, and competition (swim, water polo, and diving), the proposed concepts are grossly inadequate. This region needs more water and this facility must be inclusive for those underserved communities in San Diego.
Removal of Existing Building - We are asking the City to remove the existing abandoned building (619) from the plan and consider building a new building that allows for greater design size and flexibility.
The City’s proposed concepts show that the existing building on the site is to be maintained and restored. This building greatly reduces the available area for the aquatic center. Looking at the cost projections in the feasibility report, it also represents close to two-thirds of the cost of the project. The building is supposedly condemned, has evidence of illicit drug use, and is a safety hazard. Removing it from the plan and replacing it with a new concept would allow the design to be more flexible and dynamic. Note: The building is not considered an historic building as it was built in the 1990’s, so there are no restrictions to its removal.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We have a fairly short time to respond to the survey, as they will close it on October 4, 2024. The survey takes 5 minutes to complete, so please take a moment to fill it out now.
I am happy to answer any questions you might have, so please don't hesitate to contact me. Also, please forward this email to your network, so that the community can be heard. This is a very exciting opportunity for this aquatic center to be an iconic public facility that reflects the deep aquatic history and orientation of San Diego. Thank you very much for your time.
Sincerely,
Stephen Rodi