Q: Why not build just a new swimming pool? What amenities will the new facility include?
A: Stand alone swimming pools cannot pay their own costs from user fees.  The Mountain View pool currently costs taxpayers about $135,000 per year more than its users pay in fees.  Pools that succeed are always part of a larger recreation/fitness facility.  Such aquatic recreation centers are conveniently located for the main population base, and always have a significant "dry side."  The term “dry side” refers to the non-aquatic parts of a recreation and fitness complex. 

This means that for our aquatic recreation center to be self supporting it must include such amenities as treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary bicycles, stair-steppers, resistance machines, free weights,  a gymnasium, court games (handball, etc.), and spaces for classes such as aerobics and yoga, a juice/snack bar and a pro shop.  Additionally, there will be a child care center with reasonable fees where members can drop off their children while exercising and socializing.  This will expand the market we can serve and help insure a self supporting operation.  Without these types of amenities, a swimming pool would require large annual taxpayer subsidies.

If we can raise sufficient funds, we also would like to have an indoor track for walkers, joggers, wheel chairs, and baby strollers as well as a climbing wall.

Q: Why Not build at current Mountain View pool site?
A: MAKE WAVES! commissioned a professional site selection study performed by ORB Architects.  The results of the study demonstrated clearly that the site in the far corner of Kah Tai Park was the best site in the market area.  Fifteen different criteria were evaluated and weighted to allow a fair comparison of various sites one to the other.   You can go to the site matrix on page 3 by clicking here. 

Aside from considerations in the site matrix, the Mountain View site is leased by the City of Port Townsend and is not available.  (Earlier, while the School District would not offer the property for sale,  it had indicated a possible price of $3-4 million.)  Second, assuming it were available,  this site does not have the countywide, no-transfer transit access of the Haines Place site, nor is it visible to tourist traffic, an important source of revenues.  In addition, the entire Mountain View School site would be needed, and expensive infrastructure and parking improvements would be required. The site and improvements would cost at least $5 million before the facility was built.

Q: Won't building on the corner on Kah Tai Park be just the beginning of the end of the Park? Won't the Port or City then proceed to sell off building sites to commercial development?
A: No.  In fact the MAKE WAVES! proposal is key to securing the future of the Park.  The Port owns 20 acres of land that is under lease to the City until August, 2012.  While this land is now included in the Park, after 2012 the Port has the right to apply for rezoning.  It is the MAKE WAVES! proposal and the economic benefits it provides that has motivated the Port to place the balance of its 20 acres under a conservation easement.  Thus, for THE FIRST TIME the future of the park will be assured into perpetuity.  Please contact us at info@makewavesinpt.org  for more information.

Q: You mentioned "pools that have succeeded”.  What do you mean by succeeded?
A: When we say succeed, we first mean that the aquatic recreation center must pay all of its own costs from user fees.  As mentioned earlier, stand alone indoor pools cannot be operated without large financial subsidies.   A consistent comment from the dozens of aquatic recreation centers which MAKE WAVES! studied was the regret that they did not include a larger fitness and recreation components in their initial designs.  Thus they frequently ended up making additions just for this purpose. We will design your facility so that it has an ample supply of fitness and recreation amenities available for use right from the start.

Q: Why not refurbish the existing swimming pool?
A: No community has been able to operate a stand-alone pool without significant annual taxpayer subsidies.  The present pool requires $135,000 annual subsidy from the City.  This pool's heating, water purification and air handling systems are all very old, inefficient and may experience failure at any time.  Additionally, it would require extensive renovations to meet the current codes.  Finally, even if the systems are replaced and the building is brought up to code (at a very significant cost) the pool is not adequate to meet current demands

Q: How much is all this going to cost and when will you open?                                            
A: The best estimate we have thus far is $10M.  We cannot refine this estimate until we hire an architectural firm.  We cannot hire an architectural firm until we have assurance that the site and parking are secured.  Ultimately, the actual configuration of what gets built depends on how much money can be raised.  We would like to open our doors to the public in 2014.

Q:  How do you plan to raise $10 million?             
A: This will be an effort that requires the help of our entire community.  We first need to raise $7-8 million from a combination of private donations and grants.  This will require finding about 50 to 75 very generous and public minded people.  We are presently working on identifying these donors as well as identifying foundations whose purpose includes this type of project.
We also will need to raise $2-3 million through a broad based appeal to our community.  This effort will follow the initial effort to raise $7-8 million.  This later effort will involve many hundreds of people in our community, and include a wide variety of fund raising efforts.
Finally, if we end up a little short of our goal, we have a financial plan which will allow us to borrow the funds required to complete the project.

Q: How much will it cost to be a member and use the facility?
A: It's too early to know that kind of detail, but it will be in line with the fees at similar aquatic recreation centers.  Part of the MAKE WAVES! fund raising will be committed to establishing a scholarship fund to help buy down the monthly fees for individuals based on need.  We intend this facility to be financially accessible to as many people as possible.

Q: Anything else with a "firm policy"?
A: Yes. Provide day care on site for members' children while members are using the facility.

Q: What's next for Make Waves?
A: The next priority items are to get reasonable assurances from Jefferson Transit that our users may co-use the nearly empty Park and Ride lot.  If we get both the site and parking commitments, we have a donor who has pledged the $60-70,000 necessary to hire an architectural firm and develop preliminary designs. With these in place, serious fund raising will begin.