Resident plugs pool complex plan
Fresh design put forward for centre
Afresh design for a new aquatic centre in Napier featuring a wave pool and artificial beachfront has been put forward by a resident who has grown frustrated with “no decisions” being made by the council for a new facility.
Napier City Council said it was great to see “community passion coming through in ideas like this” but the proposed site at Anderson Park in Greenmeadows made it “difficult to accommodate”.
The council has been looking at building a new aquatic centre since 2017 when a business case was first developed.
It has become a drawn-out and controversial project since then.
The project is on pause and the next council will pick it up after the local body elections in October.
The council has been considering two sites including Onekawa Park or a vacant piece of land in Poraiti for the new facility.
Napier resident Gordon Sanson believes it would be better suited at Anderson Park in Greenmeadows, which has a range of existing facilities like a playground and skate park.
Sanson, who is the owner of a construction company, and has experience in building design, has drawn up his own plans for a new indoor aquatic centre at that park.
He sent the plans to a council representative this week to be considered as a potential option.
“Like most Napier people you just get frustrated with the fact no decisions are getting made [on a new aquatic centre],” he said.
“My thoughts are they at least should consider this along with their feasibility study of what to do, and add it into the mix and not discount it.
“I think it would be a really unique and exciting asset for Hawke’s Bay.”
He said whenever he walked through Anderson Park it seemed like a great fit.
“You have got a playground there, you have carparking there, it is a good recreational spot there, and it just makes sense to do something there.”
He suggested the facility should be built over an existing pond at the park not far from the existing playground.
The plans include a five-lane 50m pool area, a five-lane 25m pool area, a diving area, an artificial beachfront with sand, and a wave pool.
It also includes a toddlers’ pool and play area.
Sanson said it would be different to the likes of the new Olympicquality aquatic centre at Mitre 10 Sports Park in Hastings.
He said the shape of the pool had been inspired by art deco style and the building inspired by the form of waves.
Sanson said he would like to be involved with a feasibility study for the site if it got to that stage.
Napier City Council interim chief executive Richard Munneke said therewere issues with building a pool at Anderson Park.
“It’s great to see community passion coming through in ideas like this.
“In this case, the site is already extensively used making it difficult to accommodate a pool proposal.”
Munneke said the Napier Aquatic Centre project was one of the key projects the new council would look at when they come on board in October.
The existing Napier Aquatic Centre at Onekawa Park is ageing and considered too small for a growing population.