I am an eight year Snoqualmie Ridge resident; former swim team member as a youth; husband; father of two boys, ages 4 and 6; and avid sports addict. My wife and I also plan on continuing to raise our family here in Snoqualmie. We love it and feel blessed to be part of this community. I believe my kids can swim if they really want to, and we do on occasion.

The majority support a community center without a pool. The cost of the community center does not add up. I beg of you to consider the following questions:

1. The current initiative provides a pool that will not be user friendly for competitive events of any type. What is the cost of an Olympic-size (swim-team-friendly-size) pool that can host competitive events?

2. What would the real cost per home be to build an Olympic-size pool? My belief is that if you all knew the real cost, this would not even be on the ballot in November.

3. Is there a concrete example of a community pool that does not lose money and drain other important funds from a city?

4. Why can’t the region come together and build a better pool at the original location in North Bend?

5. Why should any resident who owns a home be forced to subsidize something they will not use? It is not just a couple of dollars here.

6. If the pool makes so much sense, why hasn’t a private party built one? Answer: It’s not profitable.

7. North Bend is 10 minutes away. How many times have you gone swimming at the public pool there?

Solution: Build a community center without the pool and work with the entire Valley to provide a true cost analysis for a regional indoor pool and then, let’s re-vote. The community center has not been built because of the pool.

Patrick Sprague

Snoqualmie