Future uncertain for Kennedy Pool, but options exist

Pool has been a source of concern for years, but kids still need place to cool off

It’s a little sad to think about Kennedy Pool, isn’t it? The pool has been keeping Yumans cool since it was first built in the early 1960s, but it’s been closed down since 2020, shuttered by the pandemic.

However, problems at Kennedy existed prior to that. In 2017, the city looked into closing Kennedy Pool. At that point, then-parks and Recreation Director Debbie Wendt noted that the city would save $125,180 by not opening the pool. The cost to get the pool up and running was expected to be $109,144 – yet the pool’s revenues the prior season were only $31,000.

That decision was met with public backlash, with residents noting that the pool is the biggest recreational resource in the neighborhood. And, with support from the community, the city found a way to keep Kennedy open in 2017.

Then, according to the Sun archives, in May 2020, then-city Administrator Phil Rodriguez noted it would take about a quarter million dollars and 30 days to get a pool up and running, due to staff recruitment, hiring, training, filling and getting the water ready. The city made the decision not to open Kennedy or Carver pools that year to save costs, noting that there was also a shortage of lifeguards.

The following year, in 2021, the city of Yuma couldn’t open the pool once again because there was a shortage of lifeguards in the community.

Now, it appears to be too far gone to save.

Acting City Administrator Jay Simonton recently told the Yuma City Council that city staff tried to bring the pool back online last spring, but because it sat dry for so long, the piping to and from the filtration system had deteriorated, rendering the pool unusable.

An estimate from a contractor to replace the piping and repair the decking around the pool was over a million dollars.

With such a hefty price tag, city officials decided that the most “prudent” action would be to wait until a parks master plan is done, which is scheduled to start soon.

The decision makes sense, but it’s unfortunate.

The city has three swimming pools currently in operation – the Valley Aquatic Center, Marcus Pool and Carver Pool.

According to the city’s website, Carver is only open for Aqua Zumba and special programming, so for this conversation, let’s take it off the list.

That leaves Marcus (545 W. 5th St.) and the Valley Aquatic Center (4381 W. 18th St.) for open swim times.

The Valley Aquatic Center is 4.5 miles from Kennedy Park, and Marcus isn’t much closer – 3.3 miles.

For the kids who live near Kennedy Park who want to cool off at a pool, those are long treks in the summer heat.

Obviously, the city needs to be fiscally responsible on all projects. But losing Kennedy Pool is a blow, especially as we approach summer.

There is still hope for the facility, which could appear in the form of a donor to step forward and cover the costs of the repairs to Kennedy, but that seems like a long shot.

Or, there’s the option of a partnership with another entity, such as a school district, the Marine Corps Air Station or Arizona Western College, for construction of a new state-of-the-art facility that meets the needs of all the community.

And as exciting as that opportunity could be, it’s still unfortunate to see a Yuma landmark fall to the wayside, leaving kids in that area without an accessible swimming pool for the summer.

What do you think, readers? What should happen with Kennedy Pool? Should the city invest in it, or look for a way to build in a new pool in the area, perhaps in partnership with another entity?

Let us know. Share your thoughts with a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com.