Wi-Fi among wish list of swim center amenities
Feb 15, 2010 | 1618 views | 31 
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A drawing of the proposed swim center shows what officials hope to someday build. Illustration contributed
Parks officials are trying to pin down what exactly a new swim center for Tracy will look like as they prepare to go out to bid on its design in June. Construction could follow a year later.
The City Council in January voted to spend about $1.2 million to design the water park, the first phase of construction will have a lazy river, waterslides, an activity pool, and a wet playground. The swim center will be built at the northwest corner of Corral Hollow and Linne roads.
Later, a 52-meter pool, a wave machine and a smaller pool for lessons and recreation will be built later.
At last week’s commission meeting, several attendees suggestions, as did the consultant the city is using to guide officials.
Supporters of bringing swim meets to Tracy asked that the 52-meter pool be sized to meet U.S. swim standards, and that it include locker rooms with bathrooms and showers.
They suggested a kitchen be built near the 52-meter pool as well to help with fundraising events.
Some people asked for landscape netting to cut down on the wind, and asked for no regular-sized parking spaces rather than one for compact cars. The design, the public urged, should include plans for overflow parking with room for RVs.
Parks department head Rod Buchanan asked consultant RJM Design Group Inc. to make sure where the parking will be located and how many spaces there will be once the first part of the swim park is built.
The consultant wants solar energy to be part of the design.
The public also wondered at what stage a concessionaire will be in place, and asked that they be in a central location.
People suggested something be constructed for shade, and that lights and noise be diminished because the park will be close to new homes.
A Wifi hotspot should be considered as well, commissioners were told, and there needs to be break rooms for lifeguards, storage space and first-aid rooms.
The city expects to spend about $13 million to build the first phase of the swim center. It has $3 set aside already, and expects to be paid $10 million by the Surland Companies in exchange for the rights the City Council gave Surland to build 2,250 homes.
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Why can't the existing pools be used? There needs to be an agreement with the schools (and the schools use them causing a resource problem. Also, the Joe Wilson pool is too old to use for a swim center. It's falling apart at the seams.
Wifi is a great idea. It helps people communicate. I personally like the idea of walking up to a concession stand and being able to use a Wifi connection.
Read the article about some parent using technology to communicate to his children, in Tracy and you may understand why people could benefit from Wifi. I understand and appreciate that not everybody uses it. I don't need it but understand that other people do and can benefit from it. Besides it only costs $50 at Best Buy and a DSL line. When I moved they gave me an extra one modem. I could donate it - if you are concerned about the $50 cost.
newtotracy,
The lot over by the outlet mall is further away from the center of town than Ellis - in terms of safe routes. The location at Ellis is not hidden in respect to the idea that it is a community swim center. Why would you put a community swim center on the freeway? People who live here will have to deal with freeway traffic. Look at who will be using the pool. Of course, if it were a swim center like the Manteca Water Slides it would make sense to put it there. I understand it is primarily a community swim center.
Thirteen million? Nothing is cheap anymore. There is a lawsuit against the swim center too. That costs money too. Wanna bet who's gaining from that? Certainly not us.
I definitely am not opposed to the swim center. Anything that can engage kids and even get them to do things with their parents is a-ok by me...those kids might not grow up to be little hoodlums! ;-) I'm just concerned that in the very difficult economic times...as well as with the whole "greening" thing...is a big complex of expensive pools filled with precious water the best plan? Someone else mentioned using the high school pools...wouldn't that be doable? Or maybe a swim complex of smaller proportions? We've gotten so hung up on "bigger is better" but it isn't always.
We can totally have both...I was simply voicing a thought that I had. That thought was far more based around the multitude of pools vs the single pool type of idea. The water slides in Manteca died...the water slides between Livermore and Tracy don't do very well...maybe water slides on the far southern outskirts of Tracy will buck the trend, but it's an expensive gamble being taken with some of my money...and that concerns me.
The sad thing is...it shouldn't have taken 20 years...the town SHOULD have a local pool...but maybe not a grandiose swim center. I hate obstructionism...which is why I try to sound out ideas. :-)
My wish list for a local swim center would be for a MUCH smaller scale one.
I can think of several locations that might actually get some passersby to visit. There are empty lots out by the outlet mall...what about there? The lot on the corner right when you come in on 11th is for sale...much as I hate plowing under farmland...that would be a better location (except it would potentially screw up my commute! hehehe) It just seems like if we "hide" the swim center, then we are counting on the 80000 residents and any swim teams to make it profitable. The only thing worse than 20 years of obstructionism...is building a grandiose swim center for $13 million and watching it close 3 years later because it didn't get anyone swimming there. :-/
Isn't the monies for the Emerald City projects to come from state grants? I thought the objective of Emerald City was to reduce greenhouse gas emmisions?
Why can't we have both? People who lived here have wanted this for so long. Ever since the special interest group started throwing a lawsuits in every single gear.
It's been twenty years of obstructionism to stop things from turning. I think we've had enough now.
I think the goal is a local swim center, which is why I think the article said wish list.
More importantly, can you think of a better location?
I think we should find better things to do with this money...and let the $10 million from the developer go. seriously, I looked at a map...this center is almost not even IN Tracy. If it were by the freeway maybe it would get some traffic...but this literally will be a local swim center and maybe a swim meet pool...but it certainly will not be a destination. look at the "success" of the water slide in Livermore/Pleasanton. did you know they have one?
there are so many better ways to make Tracy a better place...cheaper too!
Therapy pool??? How many pools is the city going to have constructed? I know, how about a stress pool? Or an after-work-and-I-need-to-relax pool? Or a tide pool, for those who want to hear the ocean? Give me a break.
And to answer your question....yes, I have waaaaay too much time on my hands and so must you, I see you posted twice.
FTUD,
Would not a therapy pool be open year round.
realy? Glen briar? that is not a real skate park anoestley.
its pretty much built for the housing devilment its just that a bunch of kids go there cuss they dont wanna go to el pescadero all the way in the north side of tracy.one of the worst places.
PLEASE SUPPORT!A nice skate park is not even worth half of what that new bus station cost! or maybe a little more then that new fire engine! or this water park! PLEASE SUPPORT!
The pools you wrote about are paid for by the state of California. You can't use them the same way you would use a backyard pool. Try to use the school playground and you could get arrested. It is property of the State of CA.
VTgirl,
The animal shelter should NOT BE paid for in whole by the city of Tracy, but in part by San Joaquin County. There are several other communities around Tracy, CA.
The county property taxes we pay for our homes is diminished. The Tracy Animal Shelter has a really good record of low animal kill for only having been a City paid animal shelter. Stockton also has a low animal kill rate but Stockton's animal shelter is consolidated with San Joaquin County.
Please stop spending money we don’t have.
We already have an Olympic size pool as well as an Olympic diving pool that’s only used a few weeks a year.
Before you go out and spend money we don’t have, use what we now have until its used 100% of the time (every day) of the year.
What’s wrong with using the pools at West Hi for swim meets.
Do you have any idea what the cost to keep a pool maintained even when it’s not being used?
If the swim team people (all 300 or so of them) want a pool to use let them pay for it. Why spent millions of dollars we don’t have for 300 people.
There are plenty of parks in Tracy. There is a skate park in GlenBriar. The nearest development to Kimball is RedBridge and they have their parks there too.
fortheunderdog,
There isn't any traffic problem out there. That road goes on out to the county. The environmental impact would be negligible. Especially so considering that road has already been widened.
This seems like another hand shake deal just so developers can get in on building their homes.
What happens when there is no money to build the second phase of the swim center?
Now where will this be? I thought there was an article a couple of weeks ago touting how great it will be at the Holly site.
Adding a skate park adds a lot of liabilty.
Wherever they build it, I hope its built fast, Tracy can sure use a boost. Tracy kids need a place to go.
RV access would be ok if parking for RV's were planned on the outskirts of the parking lot and limited to a certain number of spots with plug in electrical on a pay-as-you-use schedule. And no overnight parking for RV's. It's a swim center, not a campsite.
Again, it's going to be close to a residential area so noise and traffic should dictate the working hours of the swim center. Remember that there are people who work nights, sleep days, so let's be mindful of their concerns for noise. Opening should be around 10 am and close at 8 pm. That way, noise and excessive lighting will be kept to a minimum for those living close by.