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The Menlo Park City Council voted unanimously at a special meeting Monday to approve revised designs for the pools planned at the new community center in Belle Haven.
The community center, funded largely by Facebook, is set to include a pool area, funded by the city. The City Council was facing a tight deadline to finalize the pool designs last week when Jennifer Johnson, a parks and recreation commissioner and parent of a child with disabilities, urged the council to try to adjust the plans so that they are more inclusive of the disability community.
Specifically, she asked that the council try to add a beach entry to the training pool, which offers pool entry at a very gradual slope and can be used by anyone.
The council suspended its plans to approve the pool designs Jan. 26 and asked that stakeholders meet to see what could be done.
“Essentially, there was a meeting of all interested parties, and staff took comments, and came up with a really nice design,” summarized Vice Mayor Betsy Nash, who was part of the group that met to iron out the details over the past several days.
In the revised plans approved Feb. 1, the training pool had an additional separated ramp with a gradual slope planned on one side of the pool. There are hand railings on both sides. There is also an entry ramp planned at the lap pool, lowering to a depth of 3 1/2 feet before dropping into the full lap-pool depth of 7 feet, explained Assistant Public Works Director Chris Lamm.
“This is an example of your government in action, your government being responsive,” said Mayor Drew Combs. “Hats off to the staff for being willing to again get back into this and come up with a solution that works for all.”
In all, the approved pool plan is to have two pools, one 7-foot-deep performance swimming pool for activities like lap swimming, swim meets and water polo, and a training pool that ranges between 3 1/2 and 5 feet deep, with an elongated entry ramp on one side and an accessible ramp along another side of the pool. In addition, the city has planned a “splash pad” area and play features for children to enjoy playing in water without having to swim. The project is estimated to cost $7.4 million.
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Well done City Council. I hope the same focus on inclusivity is put toward playground redesigns throughout the city. Not proposing we replace the existing playgrounds but when they are updated I hope that every child’s needs are taken into account.