June 25, 2019
It’s the time of year when the pools around Walnut Creek are filled with the sounds of children playing, swim lessons being taught, lifeguards announcing rest period, and excited cheers at swim meets. This weekend over 1800 children from Walnut Creek will participate in the All City Meet just as the generations before them have for over 50 years.
We need YOUR help to save these cherished traditions!
Sadly, we must inform you that the tradition of the All City meet and the 50-meter Olympic-size swimming pool at Heather Farm may come to an end. As we reported to you in April, the City of Walnut Creek is studying the master plans and facilities in Heather Farm, Civic Park, and Shadelands. Although consultants hired by the City reported strong community support for aquatics and maintaining the Olympic-sized pool at Heather Farm, some members of City Council have suggested that we replace our Olympic-sized pool with a pool half as big. Even though our population has almost doubled since the pools were built, they think Heather Farm only needs a pool half as big and they question whether the Olympic-sized pool benefits the community and whether the community actually supports the existing pool.
We know the community supports maintaining the existing pool at Heather Farm. The existing pool is the pool that will allow our traditions to continue. It’s a pool with capacity for people of all ages and abilities to use it at the same time. It’s a pool where at one time you have space for water safety lessons for children, lifeguard training, lap swimming, and fitness class for people with mobility issues. It’s a pool large enough for All City and other championship meets which bring revenue to the City. But if the pool is cut to half its current size, we will lose much more than water. We will have to pick and choose between water safety, lifeguard training, lessons, play, and fitness. We won’t have a pool with capacity for All City and other championship meets that bring money and acclaim to Walnut Creek.
But, we can continue our aquatic tradition if we replace the current pool with one the same size. The City of Walnut Creek needs to hear from YOU the community, that YOU want the Olympic-sized pool to be in their plan for the future of Walnut Creek. They need to hear from YOU that YOU want future generations to enjoy what we have, a pool that is large enough for water safety instruction, to play, to cool off on a hot summer day, to swim laps, exercise and be fit.
Please:
- Sign our Save Walnut Creek’s Pool petition at http://chng.it/74k8vrDx4w.
- You do not have to be a Walnut Creek resident. The City knows that many people from around the region swim at Heather Farm. Your voice counts too!
- Share our petition through your social media and other contacts.
- Ask your partner, spouse, friends and neighbors to sign our petition.
Together we can Save Walnut Creek’s Pools!
Thank you for your support of aquatics!
Mike Heaney, Walnut Creek Aquatic Foundation President