This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
This article is part of a series which will be published by the Longmont Observer this week providing more information on ballot issue 3B, a sales tax increase of 0.18% in the City of Longmont to fund the construction of a competitive swimming pool and ice rink. For general information on the ballot issue, see our overview.
Of the many questions Longmont residents have regarding the Pool & Ice Rink on this year's ballot, one of the most persistent is the question of where it will be built. For some city residents, the question of approval is entirely centered on its location.
Jeff Friesner, manager of Recreation & Golf Services for the City of Longmont, explained that there were five possible locations investigated in the feasibility study commissioned by the city in 2015 and delivered in 2017. Of those, one is no longer in consideration (Garden Acres Park).
If the center were to be built on the site of the Quail Campus, where the Longmont Museum and existing recreation center already are, it would be built to the north of the existing tennis courts. "[The existing recreation center] will remain fully operational," during and after its construction, explained Friesner, rebutting rumors that the construction of the new facility would entail tearing down the existing one.
According to the study, sites were selected by seeking to optimize a number of criteria including land already owned by the city, size of the available space, ability to enhance adjacent facilities like parks or schools, accessibility via a variety of methods besides cars, traffic impact, public support for various locations, and total cost to operate the facility at that location.
While the study does not make an explicit recommendation to the city, based on the criteria each site was scored out of a possible 100 points. The Montgomery Farms and Dry Creek sites scored a comparable 82 and 81 points respectively and the Quail Campus and Clark Centennial Park each scored 77 points.
A final determination of the location of the park will not be made unless the ballot issue passes.
