Silver Lake Park pool in fast lane amid discussion of what's next

Apr. 2—ROCHESTER — Planning for Rochester's second new outdoor public pools are moving forward, with some looking even further ahead.

"This came up a lot faster than I was expecting," Rochester Park Board member Marty Cormack said.

The board received an update Tuesday on the

Rochester City Council's recent support for financing a $5 million pool and splash pad project

in Silver Lake Park. Funding will come from retained sales tax funds, as well as borrowing $3.2 million from city reserves to be paid back with an anticipated 0.5% property tax levy increase.

Concept plans are expected to be presented to the Park Board on April 16, but Cormack and others said they thought they'd have time to discuss the potential for installing some sort of covered, three-season pool or studying whether the northeast Rochester park is the ideal place for the new pool.

The city's Silver Lake Park master plan called for replacing the existing pool with a splash pad, and

the city's parks system plan

points to having a single outdoor pool at the new aquatic center being built in Soldiers Field Memorial Park with splash pads added throughout the city.

Since adoption of the 2016 system plan, Park Board members have discussed a desire to have a second pool, but they've pointed to potentially finding a location further from the downtown core, as well as installing something that could be used beyond summer.

"We have bypassed all that," Comack said.

Parks and Forestry Division Head Mike Nigbur said those discussions are likely to happen as the Parks and Recreation Department starts to work on an update to the system plan.

"That would be an appropriate time to review aquatics and where the next space may be," he said of the plan update expected to be completed in 2026.

He said updated community opinions could point to the need for a third outdoor pool or other changes to the overall plan.

Park Board President Gary Neumann said the timing would also allow a chance to collect data related to the two new pools, as well as new splash pad facilities.

For now, the Silver Lake Park plan revisions appear to be in the fast lane, with the potential to adopt a final revised layout of the southern section of the park on May 7.

The original layout left space for a new pool, but Nigbur said the City Council's approval to move forward with planning a new pool and bathhouse means more attention can be put into the overall layout south of Seventh Street Northeast.

Plans already call for updating the skate park and adding a basketball court, while also adding the aquatic features. Nigbur said the updated focus allows a chance to ensure everything fits together and allows for greenspace and adequate access.

He said staff is working with the Rochester Swim Club to design the pool, which is expected to be smaller than the existing pool. It's being designed with a 5-foot maximum depth, which could accommodate a small slide, if the budget allows

The goal of the proposed eight-lane, 25-yard pool is to provide access for swim lessons and the city's adaptive recreation program.

If the Park Board adopts a revised layout in May, the City Council could be asked to approve the plan on May 20, providing a chance to hire a contractor to start work in August or September. Work could start as soon as the pool closes at the end of the summer.

Nigbur said the timeline is expected to allow for opening the new pool and splash pad for the summer of 2026.

In other park business, the board:

* Approved continuing to contract with the Rochester Swim Club for management of the city's outdoor pools. The contract calls for the city to cover the first $10,000 of operation losses, with the city and club splitting any other losses. The city has also committed $100,000 for repairs to the Silver Lake pool to meet safety standards.

* Approved nearly $285,000 in contracts for Soldiers Field Golf Course improvements following a storm sewer project. Nigbur said the goal is to have the work completed by the fall.

* Approved a $3,800 contract for geese-management services to continue annual efforts to control the population of resident Canada geese in city parks.