Port Angeles: Neighbors cool to city using forested Webster Park for a muncipal pool

PORT ANGELES — Neighbors of Jessie Webster Park, concerned the trademark stand of tall trees may be the future site of a public pool, questioned City Council members Wednesday evening on their plans for a new plunge.

Council members Lauren Erickson, Gary Braun and Grant Munro — all members of the city’s Pool Renovation Committee — cautioned that they are only in the beginning stages of deciding where a new pool might be located.

But some people living near the park voiced objections to previously stated ideas to building a pool at Webster Park, citing the park’s rarity as an island of giant trees amid a populated area.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

“I never would have bought my home if I thought a swimming pool would be across the street,” said Susan Howe.

About 45 people gathered in the Camp Fire Clubhouse at the park for a community-organized meeting to get information on the city’s plans.

Replacing Shore pool

The city is considering building a new public pool to replace the 43-year-old William Shore Memorial Pool, which most council members say no longer meets the needs of the population.

Webster Park, a five-acre area along Eunice Street between Second and Fourth streets, is among the five sites city staff has considered for a new pool.

More in News

Master Gardener Honey Niemann of Port Townsend trims a barberry bush on Wednesday to keep it from infringing on the daffodils blooming at Master Gardener Park at the corner of 10th Street and Sims Way in Port Townsend. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Signs of spring

Master Gardener Honey Niemann of Port Townsend trims a barberry bush on… Continue reading

Woman flown to hospital after rollover collision

One person was flown to a Seattle hospital after a… Continue reading

Jeffrey Surtel.
DNA tests identify remains as BC boy

Surtel, 17, went missing from British Columbia home in 2007

David Brownell, executive director of the North Olympic History Center, top, takes a piece of ultraviolet-filtering window tinting from Ralph Parsons, Clallam County maintenance worker, in an effort on Tuesday to protect historic paintings on the stairway of the section of the county courthouse, including an 1890s depiction of Port Angeles Harbor by artist John Gustaf Kalling. The history center is working with the county to preserve the stairway artworks by adding the window coatings to reduce damage from sunlight and installing an electronic UV monitor to track potentially harmful rays. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Protecting artwork

David Brownell, executive director of the North Olympic History Center, top, takes… Continue reading

Evictions are at historic highs

Trends based on end of pandemic-era protections

Public works director highlights plans for Port Townsend streets

Staff recommends de-emphazing redundancies

West Boat Haven Marina master plan to take shape

Approved contract will create design, feasibility analysis

Cindy Taylor of Port Townsend, representing the environmental group Local 20/20, points to printed information available about the organization to an interested party while at the Jefferson County Connectivity Summit at Chimacum High School on Saturday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Connectivity summit

Cindy Taylor of Port Townsend, representing the environmental group Local 20/20, points… Continue reading

Operations scheduled at Bentinck range this week

The land-based demolition range at Bentinck Island will be… Continue reading

William Flores.
Deputy to be assigned to West End detachment

Deputy William Flores has graduated from the Washington State… Continue reading

Chuck Hancock of Tacoma raises a glass to toast the launching of his boat, Diana Lee, named after his wife, which was built by the students of the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Hadlock. The boat is a 24-foot one-off design by designer Jonathan Madison of Lummi Island and was trailered in and launched from the travel lift at Point Hudson Marina on Friday morning. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Boat launched

Chuck Hancock of Tacoma raises a glass to toast the launching of… Continue reading

Potential solution coming to fix Hoh Road

Commissioner: Past sources not an option