1947 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

The thing that stopped the replacement were a few people in North Park complaining about the loss of trees

And the price tag.

[GaryOak]

Britain's oldest swimming pool, built more than 200 years ago, will open to the public for the first time in decades. It is called Cleveland Pools and is located in Bath, Hampton Row. The pool was to be restored after the public raised £8 million.

https://planetofhote...ol-opens-public

Yeah and back then they over engineered things so they literally have good foundations to work off of.

Edited by GaryOak, 08 February 2023 - 11:03 AM.

[spanky123]

The thing that stopped the replacement were a few people in North Park complaining about the loss of trees

 

What stopped the replacement was a consultant the City hired telling them that they would lose a referendum. 

[Victoria Watcher]

A pool is:

 

• A hole in the ground.
• A water filtration system.
• The building over it. 

 

It would surprise me if all of those broke down at the same time.

 

I think you can keep repairing.  Add a temporary area for when you have to close the change rooms, the weight room, the classrooms, the pump system.

 

 

 

After you cycle through replacing everything, the temporary area can become gym space etc.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 08 February 2023 - 11:11 AM.

[spanky123]

It's a 50 year old pool built cheaply too last as long. There is only so much maintenance you can do on something before too many things start breaking and it has to be closed permanently.

 

Saanich just updated Commonwealth, didn't seem to be that huge a problem. Machinery and equipment can be replaced and updated, happens all of the time. The problem is that politicians don't get credit for it and they can't use the opportunity to make social statements and add-in their laundry list of 'improvements'.

[Stephen James]

What stopped the replacement was a consultant the City hired telling them that they would lose a referendum. 

Didn't this example of gross mis-management, among so many others, cost us something like $5 mm in federal money? 

The fed liberals tried hard to give it to us, with an extension even, no? but we couldn't manage it after literally months, and years?

Made me so proud of our little city at the time, lol.

[Victoria Watcher]

Over the past four years, the city has spent about $2 million on pre-construction planning and design, with very little to show for it.

________

Coun. Chris Coleman was in favour of moving the idea forward, but cautioned the city must make it clear to the public how long a replacement building will take and that any non-binding question included in the referendum would be used for guidance only.

“I’m quite supportive of this going forward, but let’s do it with our eyes wide open,” he said.


https://www.timescol...acement-6520364



Can’t anyone make a decision here? Last time is was NPNA that detailed it. They did not want it built beside the existing one. And council did not want to close the pool for 5 years. I’m not sure this standoff won’t occur once again. Last time it also bounced around to RAP parking lot (probably still NPNAs preference), the arena land, Central School etc. it was one big comedy that reminded me of the sewage plant fiasco.

Coleman is not stupid. So I presume the “non binding” part of the referendum will be where does it go. The spending part of the referendum must be fairly clear.

If the City were to clearly publish and publicize how much extra taxes this project will add to your bill every year, it might not pass. My calculation says if the borrowing comes at 5% interest, the tax bill is between $100 and $200 per year to each homeowner. And of course very few home and business owners use the pool, relatively. I don’t think I know anyone that uses it, at least regularly.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 February 2023 - 02:30 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Over the past four years, the city has spent about $2 million on pre-construction planning and design, with very little to show for it.

 

 

That's how the last council worked.  This new one maybe too.

[Mike K.]

The tax hit is a good one.

But in the words of former Mayor Helps, if there’s demand, the private sector will build it.

[spanky123]

The tax hit is a good one.

But in the words of former Mayor Helps, if there’s demand, the private sector will build it.

 

Perhaps it should be part of the Harris Green project!

[Barrrister]

Actually, I was wondering why instead of a few "affordable" units (that will benefit people chosen by the developers or owners) why the city did not demand a free new Crystal pool to be built that at least might benefit everyone in the city.

 

The developer would have brought it in at a reasonable price and without twenty years of delay.

[Victoria Watcher]

Actually, I was wondering why instead of a few "affordable" units (that will benefit people chosen by the developers or owners) why the city did not demand a free new Crystal pool to be built that at least might benefit everyone in the city.

 

The developer would have brought it in at a reasonable price and without twenty years of delay.

 

They could still do this at the current site.  Pool at the ground floor, 15 stories above.

 

In fact, at my own expense, I had my architect make a detailed mock-up:

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 February 2023 - 08:07 AM.

[Nparker]

The NPNA would never allow 15 floors at the current CP site. That would be "gentrification" in their warped world view.

[Victoria Watcher]

The NPNA would never allow 15 floors at the current CP site. That would be "gentrification" in their warped world view.

 

I know, but it would save us $100 million.

 

How about two towers, under the other one NPNA gets an office/gym/meeting space?

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 February 2023 - 08:12 AM.

[Nparker]

The NPNA has never cared about the costs to taxpayers.

[Victoria Watcher]

 

Why, during a "housing crisis", are we building any public facilities without living space above?  It's free square feet.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 February 2023 - 08:17 AM.

[Barrrister]

I went out to Langfort to go bowling and I was actually impressed with all their facilities out there. How did Langford afford to get all this done?

[spanky123]

I went out to Langfort to go bowling and I was actually impressed with all their facilities out there. How did Langford afford to get all this done?

 

Ha ha. Step one, get the developers to actually contribute to the amenities they are required to.

[Barrrister]

The city of Victoria has upzoned an enormous amount of property even in the last ten years I have been here. Exactly what have we gotten in return? With thousands of new units I dont understand why proper recreation facilities such as gyms and a pool have not been built for all these new people.

[Mike K.]

Starlight had wanted to build a new library at HGV, I recall reading somewhere, but Mayor Helps didn’t approve of that plan so it went nowhere.

I don’t recall the details but I do recall that being on the table.