Friends of Piedmont Park, Inc. (FOPP) submits these comments on possible improvements to the Piedmont Park pool/bathhouse and on the notes from the Piedmont Park Subcommittee meeting held on January 11, 2007 about that pool/bathhouse.

FOPP supports restoring and renovating the pool/bathhouse facility.   For too long that facility has been neglected and plagued with maintenance and repair problems that have interfered with its proper use.  The pool/bathhouse is a public aquatic facility with great potential for serving the citizens of Atlanta and should be improved in a timely manner. 

FOPP believes that improvements to the pool/bathhouse should meet the following criteria:

*  The pool/bathhouse should remain a public facility, with only limited non-public uses
*   Renovating the facility as a public aquatic resource should take precedence over other goals
*   The public should fully participate in decisions about improvements to the pool/bathhouse


1.  The Pool and Bathhouse must Remain a Public Facility.  Non-Public Uses of the Pool/Bathhouse should be very Limited  

FOPP supports the comments in the Subcommittee Notes that the pool/bathhouse should be inclusive, not exclusive, and that opportunities to extend the facility beyond a summer-only pool should be explored.

However, FOPP believes that there must a well-defined commitment to use the improved facility for public purposes, and that any non-public uses should be well-justified and highly limited, if allowed at all.  For example, if the bathhouse is no longer used for pool related purposes, the redeveloped bathhouse should be devoted to and designed for public purposes and public events such as art, history, and education exhibits and community meetings.  If the facility is to be used at all for private events such as weddings, corporate meetings, and parties, these should be extremely limited, be governed by predetermined rules, and never take precedence over the public purposes of the facility.

Before plans are finalized for the facility, there must be a clear, documented understanding of how the facility will be used, what it will be used for, and the rules for its operation.  Funds should not be spent to fix up a public facility in a public park, and yet design the facility to facilitate private purposes. Public use of the facility should not be relegated to anything other than paramount.    

2.  Renovating the Pool/Bathhouse as a Public Aquatic Facility must be the Top Priority

The Piedmont Park pool performs a critical service to the citizens of Atlanta.  It is a public outdoor pool in a spectacular park in the heart of the City.  It serves a diverse community.  It offers an incredible recreational opportunity for swimmers, especially those who do not have other good swimming options.

The focus of the plan to improve the pool/bathhouse must be on the swimming pool, not the bathhouse as a stand-alone facility.  Even if the bathhouse is easier or less costly to fix-up first, the priority should be on providing a top-notch swimming facility for the citizens of Atlanta.  The pool should not be allowed to languish or fall behind the bathhouse in the redevelopment plan.  It is unacceptable to remove the pool from service because the bathhouse is no longer available as a changing and showering area.  All engineering, construction, financial, health, and other issues relating to the pool must be fully addressed and planned for, and the pool should be removed from service only for the minimum time necessary.           

3.  The Public Must Fully Participate in Decisions about the Pool/Bathhouse 

The newly adopted Master Plan for the North Woods (North Woods Plan) provides no guidance on how best to improve the pool/bathhouse.  That Plan barely refers to the facility, stating no more than the Advisory Committee endorsed the concept of restoring the pool/bathhouse.  There has been no public discussion of what should happen to the pool/bathhouse. 

The public must be given a full opportunity to participate in decisions about proposed changes to the pool/bathhouse before the changes are decided and implemented.  While the pool/bathhouse project should move forward expeditiously, but there should not be a rush to judgment on a project that will have long-term ramifications for Piedmont Park and the public.  Would it make sense to spend public money on a project the public does not support?  Isn't it the public's pool?

The steps to engage the overall public in the decision making process for the pool/bathhouse are unclear.  FOPP suggests that the Advisory Committee discuss that process at its March 7, 2007 meeting and develop a plan of action that ensures the public is fully engaged in and aware of the project.