Current situation
The city’s Clark Henry Pool was built in 1975 and has exceeded the average 30-40 year lifespan of an outdoor pool, according to July 17 meeting documents. On July 17, Jersey Village City Council unanimously voted to approve the recommendation of the city’s bond committee for a $10.1 million maximum renovation for the city pool to be considered in a November bond election.
“We bond for ... what we assume will be the maximum amount we need, and then we use what we need. ... I would prefer to err on the side of caution to have that,” council member Jennifer McCrea said.
According to meeting documents, the $10.1 million renovation would include replacing the current six-lane, 5,400-square-foot main pool and 200-square-foot children’s pool with:
- A 3,229-square-foot lap pool with six to eight lanes
- A 3,078-square-foot recreation pool with play and spray features; a shallow zero-depth area; and a waterslide tower
How we got here
Jersey Village’s bond committee considered five rebuild options for the city pool that ranged from $7.6 million-$10.1 million in work, Bleess said. The committee met 10 times since April and received public input before ultimately voting 5-2 in favor of the $10.1 million option, according to July 17 meeting documents.
Those opposed
At the July 17 meeting, Michael Torigian, a Jersey Village resident, raised concerns about investing in the city’s pool since a $19 million bond proposition for pool and park renovations was voted down by residents in November.
“I'm just kind of concerned about how we're allocating funds ... and whether or not that money would be better served providing and fixing the basic services that the residents and owners rely upon,” Torigian said.
Those in favor
Jersey Village resident Ashley Holland spoke in favor of renovating the city pool July 17.
“We think it's great for the city,” Holland said. “We think it's great for the kids and the community, and it helps everyone out.”
