Forum on pool options scheduled Feb. 23
Butte-Silver Bow Parks and Recreation staff will propose several outdoor aquatic facility options at a public forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, at the Emma Park Neighborhood Center, 25 W. Silver St.
Public involvement is the purpose of the forum, and public comment is encouraged on which option is best for Butte. Staff will also share details of the Slide the City event on Aug. 22 in Uptown Butte.
Parks officials presented conceptual options Tuesday night for an outdoor public pool at Stodden Park in Butte, ranging from a basic pool with a waterslide to one with a “lazy river” to plans featuring a separate indoor pool, a “flow rider” and a wave pool.
Preliminary cost estimates range from $6 million for the basic plan, $7.6 million for a “basic plus” option and $9.4 million for the most costly “master” plan. There are two other “master” plan options with costs of $8.6 million and $9 million.
Estimated annual operating expenses range from $296,000 to $488,000, though some of that could be made up in admissions and other revenue. Those are early estimates and could be refined, said Parks Director E. Jay Ellington.
Chief Executive Matt Vincent said later Tuesday night that all projected costs are very preliminary.
“I can’t stress enough that these are barely even preliminary costs,” he said. “These are investigative at this point. There is a lot of refining that has to go into them on these different options.
“I can’t stress enough that we are in the infant stages of visiting the pool issue and associated costs.”
The Parks Board voted 3-1 to present the options at a public hearing Monday to gather initial feedback from citizens and then send them to the Council of Commissioners for consideration.