BURLINGTON — Boone County residents, who have no public swimming pools to enjoy assummer approaches, will have their choice of five by 2003.

        That's unique in the Tristate, where municipalities are mostly holding steady on the number of public pools. Some counties have none, and the city of Cincinnati is closing five pools.

Artist's rendering of proposed swimming pool and “lazy river” at Florence Government Center. | ZOOM |

        Three of the new Boone swimming pools will be owned by the county, one by the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati and the fifth will be built and owned by the city of Florence.

        Florence is throwing in a skate park.

        A bond issue for a $4 million aquatic center is under consideration by Florence City Commission.

        “Legislation for a bond issue will allow us to get started on the aquatic center,” said Mayor Diane Whalen. The new center is expected to be built at the Florence Government Center.

        Construction could begin this summer with a proposed opening date of Memorial Day 2003.

        The aquatic center would have two slides, a “lazy river” pool, and a six-lane, 25-meter pool, according to Vanessa Lenear, the city's parks and recreation director.

        Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore said the county decided to look into providing public pools after a recreation survey showed that people wanted swimming pools more than anything else.

        Mr. Moore said the county is in negotiations with the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati to purchase the Tri-City YMCA on Main Street in Florence, which has both an indoor and outdoor pool, and the outdoor YMCA Union Pool on U.S. 42. There are also plans to open a new YMCA with a public outdoor pool at Boone Woods Park in Burlington.

        The entire facility in Florence and the pool in Union would be open to the public. The outdoor pool at the new facility in Burlington would be owned by the YMCA but open to the public while the indoor pool and other YMCA amenities would be open only to Y members.

        “We're very close to being able to bring a contract to the fiscal court for approval,” Mr. Moore said.

        Tonya Stevie, 30, a Florence mother of two, said the county has some great parks and other recreation but pools are desperately needed.

        “I do think it's a good thing for the community,” she said.

        Tri-City Y currently charges $708 for a family per year plus a one-time $150 registration fee. Mrs. Whalen and Mr. Moore said they have not determined the prices of the public pools yet but they should not be that high.

        Mrs. Whalen said she and other city officials were aware of the county's plans to open public pools in the area but they wanted one built at the Government Center.

        “We felt like this was the best place for it,” she said, adding that she had hoped the county and city would build it there together.

        “We continue to partner with Florence on other projects, but I don't see us investing in the Florence Aquatic Center,” Mr. Moore said.

        Mr. Moore said he doesn't see the Tri-City Y in Florence as competition for Florence's project either, adding that the county will not invest a lot of money in the outdoor pool on Main Street.

        “We'll continue to maintain and operate the outdoor pool at Tri-City,” he said. “We are more interested in a community center concept there.”

        The current Y has a fitness center, aerobics studio, gymnasium and nursery, which will be open to the public.

        In Florence, the planned aquatic center's main pool would have zero-depth entry with a play structure in the center featuring small slides children could climb. It would also have two “spraygrounds” with interactive water features and a concession area.

        The $600,000 skate park would be open to skateboarders, in-line skaters and rollerskaters.

        There will be no fee to use the park.

        “This facility will be the first of its kind in Northern Kentucky and a significant recreational landmark in the city of Florence,” Ms. Lenear said.

        There will be a fee associated with the aquatic center. “The rates for Florence residents will be less than non-residents,” said Mrs. Whalen. “We're not talking even $10 for residents. It's being constructed with the Florence residents' money.”

        Mr. Moore said the facility in Union sits on several acres, and the county plans to add additional recreation there once it owns it. The outdoor pool at Boone Woods would be similar to the Florence Aquatic Center, having a zero-depth entry, slides, competition swim area, regular swim area and spraygrounds.

        All of the public facilities will have some cost associated with them. But Mr. Moore said they will be reasonably priced for families, and memberships will be available. He would not reveal how much money the county is spending to purchase the Union facility and Tri-City Y since negotiations are ongoing.

        “We'll actually be buying the existing Y and the Union Swim Club from the Y in exchange for them building the new Y in Boone Woods.

        “They'll be investing twice as much on Boone Woods as we'll be spending,” Mr. Moore said.

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