We’re writing in support of Measure UU, which will allow Piedmont to build a new pool facility for the schools and the community.
We think a pool is as essential a part of local infrastructure as parks and athletic fields. Our schools should have access to a pool that supports water sports and recreational programs, and community members should have a pool for recreation and exercise. We believe water safety training and basic swimming skills are essential for kids, and swimming is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise for people of all ages. A community pool makes those things possible. The pool is also a hub of community life for many; a place where they see friends, meet neighbors, and hold celebrations.
The project would include restrooms accessible to users of the adjacent Corey Reich Tennis Center, which currently has no restroom access. This would be a significant improvement to another popular community recreational facility.
The pool isn’t the only infrastructure in Piedmont that will need attention in the coming years, and it might be more convenient if we didn’t need to address the pool now. However, it will not get less expensive with time, and, with the extraordinarily low interest rates expected to be in place for the next few years, this is actually the most opportune time to build it. Besides, the state of the current pool is such that it is unlikely to be reopened, as the rates of breakdown, mechanical failures, and leakage have made it no longer feasible to operate.
The alternative scenario of a facility chained and closed for an indefinite duration is not, in our opinion, acceptable for a community the caliber of Piedmont.
There will likely be more bond measures for other community facilities on the ballot in the coming years. Like all of us, we wish these things were less expensive. But we also think that we have all benefitted from capital investments made by generations past, and we think it is upon us now to make capital investments for the benefit of generations in the future. When the pool is built, when we see school and community programs for kids, students, and adults thrive, and when we see and hear neighbors and friends once again enjoying the pool every day, our belief is that we will all feel that it was an investment worth making.
Thank you for your vote in support of Measure UU.