Pool is focus of dueling petitions

Advocates for putting a new swimming pool in the northwest section of Shadle Park had a little water thrown on their argument last week by proponents of putting the pool at Loma Vista Park instead.

A mom who has two school-age sons canvassed the neighborhood and obtained 375 signatures on a petition calling for placing the pool at Loma Vista.

“Given more time, I could easily triple that,” said Tamara Knudson.

She and her husband, Christopher, also submitted a memo to the Park Board president and information showing that bicycle and pedestrian accidents have been more numerous in the Shadle Park area than at Loma Vista.

Residents living around Loma Vista Park also submitted a petition earlier arguing against placing the pool at Loma Vista.

The dueling petitions indicate that the neighborhood is divided about where to put the pool. A decision likely will have to be made by the Park Board, officials said.

During a meeting earlier this month, residents voted in favor of Shadle Park, but the meeting was attended by people opposing the Loma Vista Park location.

That spurred Tamara Knudson, who said she gathered signatures at a soccer field on the North Side, a Safeway at Shadle Park and by going door to door. She and her husband, Christopher, submitted the petition and traffic information to parks officials on April 15.

In an accompanying memo to Park Board President Gary Lawton, Christopher Knudson argued that Loma Vista is more centrally located to families with children and that opponents of the Loma Vista site apparently do not have school-age children who would benefit from a nearby pool. He said the opposition is a “classic case of ‘not in my backyard.’ “

A new northwest pool location is being sought to replace the former pools at Shadle Park through a $42.9 million bond issue approved by voters last fall. Consultants for the city identified Loma Vista, the northwest portion of Shadle Park and Albi Stadium as possible sites.

Donna Berroteran, who lives across from the Loma Vista Park, said Loma Vista neighbors want to see the park remain the way it is. “People like it because of the open space,” she said.

She said drivers on Alberta Street on the west side of Loma Vista Park often drive faster than the speed limit, and a hill on Alberta creates visibility problems. The crossings along Alberta are dangerous for children, she said.

“People are not used to seeing the kids there,” Berroteran said.

Shadle, by comparison, is the heart of the neighborhood and there is a tradition of having swimming there, she said. “It seems like it’s a lot more convenient up at Shadle than anywhere else,” she said.