Submitted by Beth Elliott.
I am running for the DuPont City Council because I believe responsible growth is a way to protect and enhance our quality of life. My last letter focused on zoning codes and this one focuses on recreation. I believe we should expand our recreational opportunities in a thoughtful, realistic, and affordable way.
In 2019 the city of DuPont spent $150,000 to hire a consultant to conduct a feasibility study for a community center. Citizens and other stakeholders had multiple opportunities to express their desires and provide feedback during this study period. At the end of the study the consultant presented three alternatives. The least expensive was $38,318,000 at 65,000 sq ft, without a pool and the most expensive was $47,938,000 at 80,000 sq ft, with a pool. These financial figures are now two years old, and I shudder to think what the cost must be now. In addition, these figures do not include operational costs.
I believe we should explore other, less expensive options as we currently struggle to maintain our parks and playground equipment. Let’s utilize our schools more in the evening and summer months to offer a wide variety of classes for all ages. Let’s explore building a spray park, a skate park, pickle ball and tennis courts. Let’s fix up the community center we own and turn it into an arts center, or a multipurpose center with a teen room and fix up and upgrade our playground equipment. I can, and I am sure our citizens can, think of many different options for expanding our recreational opportunities that will cost MUCH less than building the three alternatives that were proposed.
Citizens have repeatedly told me that they would like to have their recreation opportunities expanded. As a city council member, I would seek the realistic costs for building these outdoor amenities, for fixing up the community center we own and for utilizing our schools more. Once these costs are known, I would propose that we ask our citizens, the voters, to decide on how to fund them. I believe this would be a more affordable way to expand our recreational opportunities for all.
This is the second of three letters I will be writing, all focused on responsible growth.
