16 January 2008

Council In Dark About Aquatics Plan

My wife and I had a meeting yesterday with a councilmember to discuss the Cincinnati Recreation Commission's Aquatics Plan. We brought a copy of the plan that we had purchased from the CRC for $12 (10 cents a page). This councilmember had never seen or heard of the plan.

Lets get this straight. CRC has been developing this plan for about a year. They hired a company that specializes in spraygrounds, and the CRC Board voted in October 2007 to adopt this plan. It is now 2008, and the Community Councils do not know about the plan, citizens do not know about the plan, and now I find out Council does not know about the plan. Where is the chance for public participation in development of such a far-reaching plan?

Didn't CRC Board Director, Denise Driehaus tell us at their December Board meeting that the plan was a result of direction from City Council? And now I see that she just announced that she is running for the State House seat that her brother is leaving?

By the way: In the article it also says she owns a swim club. Is she trying to get rid of public pool competition?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the update Mike.

Just to let you know - Pendleton Neighborhood Council voted at our January meeting to oppose the closing of Ziegler Pool. I will be submitting a letter to CRC and the city stating our wishes and I'll copy you on it when I finish.

I am trying to get Jeff Koopman and/or Denise Driehaus to come to our February meeting to present the pools plan. I have not heard back from them yet, but when I do I will let you know the details. We'd like to get a large group of Pendleton/OTR residents to attend and voice their opinions, whatever they may be.

Biggest shocker - Driehaus owns a swimming pool! So strange - who actually OWNS a large swimming pool?

CityKin said...

David;
Ziegler, Fairview, Mt. Adams and Inwood are all similar style pool and I believe similar age. They are relatively shallow and are concrete structure, coated in a fiberglass coating. Mt. Auburn and Washington Park are deepwater and more modern. All six are planned to be removed in this plan. It is my belief that Ziegler is the most centralized and the most visible, and most likely to be successful site for a newer more modern deepwater pool.

Thanks for the info, and please keep in touch.