What do Sioux Falls residents want in new pools? We’re beginning to find out

Some themes are starting to emerge as Sioux Falls residents are asked about the future of several of the city’s pools.

The process is part of a monthslong effort to gather feedback as the city prepares to recommend replacement pools at Frank Olson, Kuehn and McKennan parks. There also are smaller improvements planned at Laurel Oak and Terrace parks.

“We’re seeing recreation water, fitness water and lap swimming as three components we’re getting for feedback now,” park development specialist Mike Patten said. “We haven’t dialed into what that actually is. Is it lanes for swimming or water walking or a lazy river? Is recreation water a spray park or climbing? We haven’t gotten to that level of detail.”

Indoor recreation options also are part of the conversation, Patten said.

“That’s not something super realistic to do at every location, but we asked what you would prefer,” he said.

The city will hold a series of neighborhood meetings this week to go over feedback that has been received so far, gather more input and detail next steps.

“This is really an engagement process for people to tell us what they want,” Patten said.

In addition to a round of public meetings earlier this summer, the city has been gathering feedback through an online survey tool.

Participants can take a survey allowing them to specify areas they like or dislike about current pools and offer comments.

In addition to general questions, each pool has its own survey page.

For instance, at Frank Olson, survey respondents can weigh in on if they’d like to see shallow or deep water, various competitive pools and amenities such as a splash pad, water slide, lazy river, lily pad walk or a FlowRider, which provides a surfing experience.

The survey also asks whether people would prefer outdoor or indoor swimming at the location and what type of programming they’d like to see.

“We need another year-round 50-meter pool in this city. With four growing swim teams — SF Surge, USF, Augie and Prairie Masters — we are already running out of room at Midco, and locker rooms are way too small to hold competitive meets,” one respondent wrote. “A larger facility with more seating and locker room space will allow larger competitions with bigger impact on our city’s revenue intake. This would also alleviate lack of lap swim availability at Midco.”

Another wrote: “There is nothing exciting about this pool for little ones. I would like to see this pool be zero-entry with a play structure that incorporates a slide. Give the pool a fun shape, and add some color and small sprinkler similar to (this) photo.”

Similar feedback also was sought for Kuehn Park’s pool.

“Would love an indoor/outdoor facility that could be used year-round and has lots of recreation options for kids and families such as slides, play structures, zero-depth entry, splash pad, hot tub, etc.,” one respondent said. “It would be nice if it had different recreation features than what are currently at the Midco Aquatic Center. Would also be cool if it was also a fitness center so kids could swim and parents could work out.”

Another praised the more basic kids’ area.

“I love the free wading pools for my young kids. Doesn’t need to be super fancy, all they want to do is splash around,” the person said. “Love the floating lily pad. Also love that it’s free so that we can just stop in for short periods of time.”

At McKennan Park, “I think there were concerns McKennan would turn into a spray pad and not an actual wading pool, and that was never the intention,” Patten said. “Based on the feedback so far, I think that will just go to a modern wading pool, and you have to offer zero-depth.”

The biggest standout comment overall: Park-goers want more shade.

“Shade is huge,” Patten said. “That’s the No. 1 comment we get in any park planning process.”

Here is the schedule of upcoming meetings:

• Tuesday, Sept. 27, 4 p.m., Terrace Park neighborhood meeting, South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance, 1600 W. Russell St.
• Tuesday, Sept. 27, 6 p.m., Laurel Oak Park neighborhood meeting, Ronning Branch Library, meeting rooms A and B, 3100 E. 49th St.
• Wednesday, Sept. 28, 4:30 p.m., Kuehn Park neighborhood meeting, Kuehn Community Center, 2801 S. Valley View Road
• Wednesday, Sept. 28, 6:30 p.m., Frank Olson Park neighborhood meeting, Cleveland Elementary gym, 1000 S. Edward Drive
• Thursday, Sept. 29, 4 p.m., McKennan Park neighborhood meeting, Dakotabilities, 1116 S. Fourth Ave.
• Thursday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m., Large community meeting, Prairie Green Golf Course clubhouse, 600 E. 69th St.

After that, the city and its consultants will come back this fall with another update and some basic potential concepts for the pools. The goal will be to see if those can fit within the footprints of the parks before more detailed design is started next year.

The earliest construction would start is 2024, and the goal is to shut down only one pool per season as improvements are phased.

“We’ll lay out the exact rotation … but we don’t even know where they’re going to end up in the park,” Patten said. “If Frank Olson is built on the south side of 18th, we can possibly leave the current pool open while we build the new one. But it will be a phased approach for a few years starting in 2024.”