Bainbridge Island Park approves $10 million bond vote to renovate community pool

The Bainbridge Island Metropolitan Park District board unanimously passed a bond resolution Thursday that will ask voters to approve up to $10 million for aquatic center renovations during the Aug. 6 special election.

Board commissioners Ken DeWitt, Tom Goodlin, Dawn Janow, Jay Kinney and Tom Swolgaard voted in favor of the resolution, which seeks to provide funding for "renovating, rehabilitating, reconstructing, refurbishing, expanding and undertaking other improvements to the existing aquatic center, including the 54-year-old Ray Williamson Pool and related capital facilities." The bond would require 60% approval by Bainbridge Island voters.

Last month, board commissioners continued discussion on a two-phased renovation project focused on the Ray Williamson Pool, which functions as the aquatic center's primary lap pool and is home for the high school swim/dive and water polo teams, the Bainbridge Island Swim Club and the Bainbridge Aquatic Masters team. The center's four-lane Don Nakata Pool focuses on recreation swimming and lessons.The first phase of the project is scheduled begin this summer/fall and would concentrate on the most critical items: roofing, secondary locker rooms, concrete repairs, fire sprinkler pipe recoating, beam repair, electrical panel/LED lighting upgrades and HVAC replacement. The project's second phase, starting in 2025, would concentrate on the pool deck slab/linear drains, filtration system, chemical treatment system, seismic updates and liner coating.

Although the district has estimated the cost for the two-phase renovation project at $5.5 million, the bond ask of $10 million provides the district with more financial backing should it add another major piece to the project scope: transforming the six-lane, 25-yard Ray Williamson Pool to eight lanes while adjusting the floor to create uniform depth (up to 6.5 feet). Expanding the pool to would add millions to the project's final price tag and lengthen the timeframe, likely keeping pool shut down until 2027. If the pool remains six lanes, the project would be on track to conclude in 2026.

On Thursday night, the board commissioners were not ready to commit to the eight-lane option. It's likely the board will delay a decision until after the August election. That will provide the commissioners with more time to gather feedback from various pool stakeholders.

"We have to ask for the community for their confidence in this," Kinney said.

Based on the resolution language, the district would be under no obligation to add lanes to the Ray Williamson Pool should the bond pass. That's a point Janow wanted to stress during the meeting.

"The way this is written is really nice for me, because it does allow the district to explore many options," Janow said. "It does give us an opportunity to really assess what the best options for the aquatic facility would be."

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bainbridge Island Parks board passes bond resolution for pool project