Hunter
10/19/22
The Iowa City City Council passed the 2022 Recreation Facilities and Master Plan at Tuesday’s meeting, while making community-backed changes to the initial remodeling plans for City Park Pool.
The Daily Iowan says immediate renovations were paused to allow for more planning.
The City Park Pool redesign included an expansion of square footage, a “lazy river” feature and more shaded space. Swimming lanes were to be reduced from 9 to 3 as part of the plan, but a petition with over 800 signatures opposing those changes and a memorandum from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission caused plans to change. The “lazy river” concept has been abandoned, and the lap lanes will remain. A zero-depth entry section to provide equitable pool access and updating restroom and shower areas to be gender-neutral are still on the table.
The vote was 4-2, and councilors said the plan was a general framework with room for changes not only at City Park, but Mercer Park and the Robert A Lee Rec Center. At-Large councilor Laura Bergus said the plan is a vision to make sure every kid in the community can swim.
