The future of the Orchard Mesa Community Center Pool is unclear. As the three governing entities that currently run the pool (the city of Grand Junction, Mesa County, and School District 51) debate the continued operation of the facility, I want to emphasize the positive impact this facility has on our community.
If you have had the opportunity to work in aquatics for the city of Grand Junction, then you know of the profound impact this pool has on our community. I worked as a lifeguard and a seasonal manager for Grand Junction Parks and Recreation from 2016 to 2021. I saw firsthand through swim lessons, community educational opportunities, private parties and staff training the benefits that the Orchard Mesa Community Center Pool has on our community.
The city of Grand Junction staffs Lincoln Park Moyer Pool (LPMP), Palisade Community Pool (PCP), and Orchard Mesa Community Center Pool (OMCCP). Swim lessons are offered at all three facilities during the summer, but exclusively at OMCCP during the winter months. During each year, the three facilities provide upward of 16,000 city-sponsored swim lessons — not to mention other private lessons from staff. While I do not want to take away from the significance of the lessons provided both at LPMP and PCP, these lessons are made available because of OMCCP’s ability to be open year-round. Having worked at all three facilities, I know that there are often waitlists for children to enroll in swim lessons. Swim lessons are a vital resource for the children of this community and allow for the safe use of lakes, rivers and other natural bodies of water. This community cannot be without the year-round swim lessons, and OMCCP is the only facility in the city that offers them.
The Grand Junction Parks and Recreation aquatics staff are constantly training in vigilance and other skills that ensure the public safety for all patrons. Staff members can perform at this level because of OMCCP’s year-round operation. A performance level that our community has come to expect. They maintain their skills, provide exceptional service, and earn “Gold” audit rating nearly every year from Jeff Ellis and Associates Inc., the world leader in aquatic safety standards. The quality of GJPR’s aquatic staff will be directly affected by the closure of OMCCP. While the city is moving forward with a vote for a recreation center in April, the future of a recreation center is not guaranteed. If OMCCP closes, the culture of vigilance and concentration on public safety that is promoted by longtime seasonal employees will suffer. Staff who currently work at OMCCP year-round will look for work elsewhere to maintain reliable employment. The loss of seasoned staff will impact the operation of both LPMP and PCP and hurt their respective communities because the tenure of staff will be cut short. This will result in a less-experienced staff and negatively impact public safety in our city pools.
Some argue that citizens can utilize other pools in the area to substitute for the loss of OMCCP, and while there are other private pool options, there are no other public year-round swimming pools in the city of Grand Junction. OMCCP provides a wide variety of opportunities for community engagement. Disabled veterans use this pool to rehabilitate, exercise, and build community. Discounted swim lesson programs have been offered to Riverside Educational Center to teach children of varying ages basic water safety.
While I look forward to seeing the result of the ballot measure that would provide our community with a recreation center, the abandonment of OMCCP before a recreation center’s construction would be irresponsible and detrimental to our community. Our community has voted against the construction of a recreation center multiple times in the past. While I understand that the city believes a recreation center is more likely to pass than previous attempts, what is the contingency plan if it doesn’t pass? Will our community be without an indoor pool? I sincerely hope that all three governing bodies do not allow closure to occur. I want to trust you with a recreation center, but I want this pool that holds so much value in this community to be maintained and cared for, too. I believe that we can have both.
If you would like to show your support for the Orchard Mesa Community Center Pool, please consider attending the Grand Junction City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 21 at City Hall on 250 N. 5th Street. You can also reach out to the Save the Pool Organizing Committee on Facebook, Instagram, or our website atwww.savethepool.org.
Payton Sanders grew up in Orchard Mesa and worked as a lifeguard for the city of Grand Junction.
