Think back to your childhood. When the days grew long and the weather warm, where did you go to cool off with friends? Do you remember how your first cannonball felt?
When generations of Centralia kids think back to those sweet first days of summer, they think of the Pearl Street Pool. But since 2011, the pool has been empty and padlocked, slowly deteriorating from disuse.
The Centralia S.T.O.P (Save the Outdoor Pool) and Swim group has been advocating for years to renovate and reopen the pool and bathhouse first built as a memorial for World War II veterans, and they’ve never been closer to success.
But there’s a hitch. The city of Centralia is considering funding the work by asking residents to approve a $4 million bond paid off over 20 years, projected to add between $50 and $75 per year to the average homeowner’s property tax bill. The council could also consider adding $2.4 million to the bond over its life to pay for annual maintenance.
On Tuesday, discussion of the bond was postponed to allow S.T.O.P and Swim time to find lower cost alternatives. One supporter told the council he thought the project could be cut to below $2 million.
Here at The Chronicle, we typically side against increased taxes, especially for non-essential services such as a swimming pool. And while the increase in property taxes seems small, we believe it would unfairly impact a struggling community already feeling the burden of their tax bills.
However, we do think the project has value.
A reopened and improved Pearl Street Pool would provide a positive and inexpensive form of summertime entertainment for Centralia families, and with its placement in the heart of downtown, is reachable by walking or riding a bicycle. It would also help revitalize what is now a dilapidated section of one of Centralia’s main streets.
The promise of a new public outdoor pool could help bring more people to Centralia, and help encourage investment in the rest of downtown. If we want to keep our small-town charm and amenities, we have to invest in them.
Two years ago, the city of Centralia spent about $250,000 to build the splash pad and playground, most of which was funded by grants from the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office and the Department of Commerce, with matching funds raised by S.T.O.P and Swim. City officials and members of the community labeled the effort as a massive success, and the park is usually packed on hot days.
At the time, the splash pad was constructed as an alternative to fixing up the pool after the pool project lost out on several attempts to get grants. Are those grants still an option? Are there other funding options besides a 20-year loan? We applaud S.T.O.P and Swim for taking the initiative to look for lower cost options, and we’d encourage them to work with the city to pursue state grants. We’re not ready to get behind a $4-plus million bond sale, but could support a trimmed-down budget with alternative financing.
The splash pad is an oasis for Centralia families on hot summer days. Let’s finish the job and rebuild the Pearl Street Pool.
