FORKS – It’s a giant concrete hole in the ground, it’s costing money and nobody can figure out what to do with it.
Voters rejected a last-ditch effort to create a funding source for the maintenance and operation of the Forks Aquatic Center.
Community members who pushed for the creation of a taxing district to support the pool say they are out of ideas.
The pool opened in July 2005 after voters approved the money to build it and closed in September 2007 after two maintenance and operation levy measures failed.
“At this point, we are unaware of any other option to pursue,” said Sandy Carter, chairwoman of the Quillayute Valley Park and Recreation District.
The park and recreation district is responsible for paying off the remainder of the 20-year bond for construction of the pool and building at the corner of Division Street and Maple Avenue in Forks.
“This was the only option that would give us a viable facility,” Carter said.
Voters defeated the idea of creating the Quillayute Valley Metropolitan Park District by 676 votes, or 65.5 percent, to 388 votes, or 36.8 percent, according to Friday’s ballot count.
Although an estimated 3,900 ballots county-wide remain to be counted, those connected to the pool district effort don’t hold any hope for a reversal.
“I was very surprised at the spread in the numbers,” Carter said.
“I was shocked and very disappointed.”
The district would have had permanent taxing authority, automatically having the power to tax 75 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The owner of a $150,000 house would have paid $112.50 yearly to support the new tax.
The measure required only a simple majority for passage.
It was the only option that a community committee came up with to solve the problem of long-term funding for the pool.
The tax was planned to provide most of the funds needed to run the pool – an estimated $300,000 per year.
The rest of the funds would come from the operation of the pool.
John Calhoun, director of Olympic Natural Resources Center and chair of the community committee, said he didn’t see any option beyond mothballing the building and trying to keep maintenance costs down.
“My personal perspective is that I don’t think any of the other options were sustainable,” Calhoun said.
“Now I think what they’ll be looking at is long term mothballing, close it up and keep maintenance costs as low as possible.”
He said the purpose of the committee was to come up with a financing solution and present all of the information to the public.
“I have no problem with the outcome of the vote,” he said.
“I supported the proposition, but I understand why people would not support it.”
Although the pool is closed, the building must be maintained.
Mayor Nedra Reed said she hopes the community can come up with a feasible option to use the building, even if it isn’t in the capacity of a pool.
“My hope is that we can get a community forum going,” she said.
“The city is willing to take the lead on this if the district wants us to.
“We need to get all of the supporters and opponents of the pool together and have a discussion about how best to handle the situation.”
If there is an option to use it as a pool, she said, that would be ideal, but in order to generate income to help pay for building maintenance other uses of the building should be discussed.
“We will be paying for the building until 2023,” Reed said.
“It is a pity we aren’t using it.”
