The Sunnyvale Sun

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Leaders will vote on future of pool's water time

By Stephen Baxter

In a decision that could redistribute coveted water time at the Fremont High School pool, the Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation Commission is expected to choose March 14 from several proposals to manage it.

A parks department report and recommendation for the pool's future is expected March 9, and a city council vote will likely be on March 27, said recreation supervisor John Lawrence.

Parks commissioners will weigh plans from the current operator of the $3.2 million pool, California Sports Center, as well as proposals from the Santa Clara Swim Club and Northwest YMCA in Cupertino. The parks department could also recommend that the city manage the 50-meter pool, which opened in 2002.

Hundreds of residents of Sunnyvale and other cities swim at the pool at 1279 Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road each week, from senior citizens to high school water polo teams to club racers.

Fremont High School swim coach Steven Puccinelli said the school's water polo program has grown from one to four squads since the last contract, and more room could be made for them.

Holly Lofgren, the former president of Friends of the Fremont Pool, said she hoped the parks and recreation report would include a fee survey and an analysis of the pool's use so the parks commission and city council could make informed decisions.

"The most important part is that there's a fair process," Lofgren said. "What I'd really like to see is for this to get off the ground right," she said.

For a city-managed pool, Lawrence indicated there would be a cost-benefit analysis.

Lofgren also said the city should post notices at the pool of the March 14 meeting.

The Parks and Recreation Commission will meet at 7 p.m. at city council chambers, 456 W. Olive Ave.