Public input meeting set for Jan. 29 about what kind of future city aquatic facility residents want

By Brandi Hart
McKinneyUpdate.com editor

Created at 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2009

Residents who have asked for the city of McKinney and McKinney City Council to build some form of an additional aquatic facility, whether that is a natatorium, indoor pool, outdoor pool, or a combination of both will get to tell city officials exactly what they want the facility to be on Jan. 29.

The city's Parks, Recreation and Open Space Department is hosting the public input meeting about a future aquatic facility at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29 in the council chambers at City Hall, 222 N. Tennessee. All residents are invited to attend.

“We want to have an initial meeting to gain insight on what the public wants to see in an aquatic facility and what they would like to see as McKinney continues to develop,” said Parks, Recreation and Open Space Director Lemuel Randolph. 

City staff and a consultant team will listen to community input in an open forum setting. There will be no limit on how long they are allowed to speak. 

Members of a McKinney based Girl Scouts Troop wrote letters to the mayor and council members in the last six years and asked for the city to build a natatorium. Many residents also expressed interest in the city building some form of a future aquatic facility, mainly a natatorium, during a council meeting held in 2008 when the council approved funding for a McKinney Dr Pepper StarCenter ice rink to be built at Craig Ranch in McKinney.

Steve Ellis, president of the McKinney Ice Hockey Club offered support for the city building an additional aquatic facility at the council meeting when the McKinney Dr Pepper StarCenter was approved. Ellis said members of the club would attend meetings to support an additional aquatic facility or natatorium when the council next discussed the issue.

Not all residents want to have a natatorium in McKinney as some residents are concerned about the annual costs associated with operating a natatorium.

The only natatorium in McKinney is at McKinney High School, which the MHS, McKinney North High School, McKinney Boyd HS and members of the youth swim team the Sea Lions, which includes children from McKinney and Fairview, all use for meets and practice.

For more information, visit the city's Web site www.mckinneytexas.org or call 972-547-7500.

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