Lease Agreement!
Proposed location of new pool within 1.4 acre lease area!
January 13, 2020
Since February, 2019, the White Salmon Valley Pool Park District (MPD) has been working with the White Salmon Valley School District (WSVSD) toward an agreement to build a new pool facility on an unused school parcel located between the School District bus barns to the north and the Early Learning Center/Loop Road to the south. This site is ideal for the new pool for many reasons, including:
It’s a relatively large area not needed for other school uses
It is easily accessible on a familiar ‘Safe Route to School’
It is easily accessible to the nearby assisted living complex
It is relatively central to the entire Park District and highly visible
It will support water-based programs (swim lessons, swim teams, classroom projects) for grades 4-12
It will easily support about 35 additional parking spaces in addition to other future uses
It will be an important and valuable asset for the school district at no cost to the district
There is ample room on the site for additional facilities, such as a future community center
This agreement means the MPD can finally move forward to engage a pool facility architecture/engineering firm to develop a construction design and documents. Having a secured site will also give a big boost to fundraising efforts. It also allows the MPD to release the hold on the Whitson parking lot site so the City of White Salmon can use it for other purposes.
The lease agreement is good for 50 years at a cost of $1 per year, and includes an allowance for 1000 hours/year of facility use by the school district for swim instruction and other educational programs. There are also stipulations protecting both parties in case of various potential construction or operational problems.
After an initial approach to the school district the MPD, it was clear that a County SEPA review and Conditional Use Permit was required in order to ensure that the proposed site would accommodate the planned pool. The PMD pool board applied for the permit, which was approved in August, and lease negotiations were begun. The lease was approved by both district boards at a joint special meeting on January 13, 2020 providing the ability for the pool board to move forward with planning in earnest.