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French Broad Riverkeeper particulars threats to water high quality post-Helene
French Broad riverkeeper Anna Alsobrook outlined the largest threats to the river’s water high quality after Tropical Storm Helene.
- Advocates for a brand new aquatics heart mentioned it might ideally have two swimming pools facet by facet.
- The Berkeley Park Sports Complex is ready to open in October.
- The sports activities complicated is now set to price round $18M, however most is not going to come from taxpayer {dollars}.
This story has been up to date as a result of a earlier model included an inaccuracy.
HENDERSONVILLE – The Henderson County Board of Commissioners voted to approve further funding for a ballfield complicated and heard a presentation urging them to help a plan to construct an indoor public pool.
The neighborhood group Support our Swimmers is asking for an aquatics heart for varsity sports activities and neighborhood recreation.
Brady Merrill, captain of the swimming group at West Henderson High School, spoke in help of an aquatics heart throughout public remark. His group at present practices on the YMCA.
“The lanes that we swim in are crowded and are often just not fit for swimmers to swim their best stroke,” he mentioned.
Plans to rebuild Patton Pool, which was severely broken in Tropical Storm Helene, have been within the information as the town of Hendersonville has held public enter periods.
In November, City Council members agreed to pursue a plan to construct a 50-meter outside pool after listening to from the county that it wasn’t inquisitive about constructing the pool collectively. But commissioners signaled openness to collaborating in developing a possible indoor pool Feb. 4.
“I’m sure (board) members will be talking amongst ourselves about what we might be able to do, especially as we approach the budget session,” chair Bill Lapsley mentioned after the SOS presentation.
“We’re very hopeful that it will be a collaboration” between the town and the county, Support our Swimmers Chair Katie Breckheimer advised the Times-News after the assembly.
“We really feel like our community needs one really good indoor swimming complex and not two or three small ones,” she mentioned.
In their presentation to council on the deserves of a “natatorium,” Steve Bradshaw, a swimming coach at West Henderson High School, and Sarah Alholm, a swimming coach at Hendersonville High School and mom of two highschool swimmers, argued that an outside pool was limiting, particularly since the highschool swimming season begins in November.
“All the Henderson County schools are paying Buncombe County to use their pool,” Bradshaw mentioned.
A 50-meter competitors pool alongside a 25-yard recreation pool in the identical constructing could be an environment friendly setup as a result of they may share mechanical methods and different working prices, Alholm mentioned.
They pitched a possible aquatics heart that would host swim classes, water aerobics, lap swimming and bodily remedy, in addition to common recreation for adults and kids.
They pointed to the Waynesville recreation Center, opened in 2000, the Watauga Recreation Center in Boone, opened in 2021, and the Jackson County Aquatics Center opened in January 2025, as templates.
Each has two swimming pools facet by facet, one for laps and one other for courses and recreation, as SOS proposes.
The pool portion of the Jackson County aquatics heart price about $22 million, Bradshaw mentioned.
Tim McFalls, from the Henderson County Rescue Squad, advised commissioners that the pool is also used for scuba coaching and swimming proficiency checks for rescue squad members.
“It’s hard to get time in a pool for public safety” functions, he mentioned.
The rescue squad had beforehand used Patton Pool for coaching.
Berkeley Park Sports Complex
Continuing within the vein of public recreation services, Assistant County Manager Chris Todd introduced the board with a development replace on the Berkeley Park Sports Complex, a challenge greater than 15 years within the making, which is now set to be accomplished in October.
Commissioners voted to approve slightly below $3 million in funding, which can come from the county’s common and capital reserve funds and curiosity accrued on American Rescue Plan Act cash.
That will likely be used to put in underground electrical infrastructure for as of but unfunded lighting deliberate for the complicated in addition to grading work to deal with rock and contaminated soil on the positioning.
The roughly 33-acre complicated is ready to incorporate 4 soccer fields, a baseball subject, a softball subject and 6 tennis courts.
Artificial turf had already been laid on two of the soccer fields, in accordance with images within the presentation.
The challenge is basically funded by federal grants.
“Local taxpayers will be putting up $1.2 million to get an $18 million-project,” Lapsley mentioned approvingly.
The county is in talks for the Hendersonville Honeycrisps baseball group to play there, however newly planted grass will not be prepared by the summer time, Todd mentioned.
George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, feedback? Email him at [email protected]. Help help native journalism by subscribing.
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