Vista council hears $3.4 million Phase 1 repair plan for Wave Water Park; chlorinator replacement ordered

The Vista City Council heard a consultant—s assessment of the Wave Water Park and extensive public comment Tuesday as officials weighed how to preserve the facility used by youth sports, swim lessons and families.

The report presented by Aquatic Design Group principal Justin Caron and city parks staff identified immediate, code-driven repairs and system upgrades as Phase 1 work and put an estimated total cost at about $3,400,000. Caron told the council the park—s mechanical and pool systems are old and that keeping the facility running without a planned program of capital reinvestment has driven up long-term costs: "Your staff's done an amazing job of keeping the water park operational, with budgets that have been somewhat challenging," he said, "but you're at a point where you need capital investment to maintain the quality your citizens expect."

Why it matters: The Wave is a singular aquatics asset for Vista residents, providing lessons, camps, lifeguard training and year-round practice time for high school and club teams. Council members and dozens of speakers said losing access or allowing further deterioration would harm local athletes, families and businesses that benefit when visitors patronize nearby restaurants and shops.

What the assessment found: Caron and staff told the council that the park—s pool decks and finishes show wear, the activity pool and lazy river need resurfacing, and the FlowRider and slide complex require continuing attention. The report recommended mechanical and chemical system upgrades, pool resurfacing and deck replacement as priority items in Phase 1. Staff said the city already has work under way this off season to resurface the activity pool and to repair the lazy river; the mayor noted council approval earlier this year of roughly $350,000 for lazy-river rehabilitation. Caron said a sensible long-term program would also budget about $150,000 a year for ongoing operation and maintenance and called out a larger repaint/rehab program that could total into the millions over a 10-year horizon.

Chlorinator and immediate safety steps: Council members repeatedly returned to a chlorine-control failure that sickened swimmers weeks earlier. The consultant and staff said the park currently uses a chemical controller installed in 1994 and described the technology as obsolete. Caron gave a range for modern chemical-controller work: "A new chemical controller— you probably want one for each body of water—is about $20,000 each; installed, the project could be $60,000 to $80,000, with other components pushing toward $100,000 to $120,000," he said. Mayor Franklin asked staff to move quickly; council members expressed unanimous support for replacing the outdated system. The council directed staff to procure new chlorinators and related equipment as a safety priority; staff said the work could be done on an accelerated procurement basis if public-safety procurement exceptions apply.

Options discussed and outcome: Staff presented three broad approaches: (1) restore and improve the Wave with a phased capital plan while keeping the city operating the park; (2) repurpose the site (options discussed included adding more competitive lap space); and (3) solicit a private operator under a lease or management contract. The council and dozens of speakers favored keeping the park publicly owned. A motion to direct staff to issue a formal request for proposals for private operators failed for lack of a majority after members raised concerns about access, affordability and contractual controls. Several council members said they would consider a proposal only if it guaranteed continued access for Vista school teams, prioritized reduced-cost admission for Vista residents and preserved program hours for youth sports. Mayor Franklin summarized the majority view: "We're not gonna sell the facility, period. End of discussion."

Public input: More than a dozen athletes, parents, coaches and former employees spoke in support of maintaining the Wave—s recreational features and in many cases urged expanding competition pool space (students and coaches repeatedly asked the council to consider a 50-meter or CIF-compliant competitive pool). Parents and recreation users said the slides, lazy river and FlowRider draw large family audiences and generate revenue for local businesses; youth athletes and district officials said the Wave is essential to school sports and scholarship pipelines. A number of speakers who work at the park urged the city to preserve the mentorship and job-training roles the Wave provides for local teens.

Budget context and next steps: Staff and the consultant said Phase 1 is the immediate priority to stop further deterioration; the consultant also provided a 10-year maintenance forecast. City staff will return with detailed cost and procurement options for the Phase 1 items, an updated multi-year operations-and-maintenance schedule and recommended language the council would require in any lease or management proposal to protect Vista residents— access. The council also asked for a community workshop to present detailed options before any final decisions on management or large capital commitments.

Ending note: For now, the city will continue operating the Wave and pursue the immediate safety and repair work the presentation identified, while staff compiles the more detailed cost, financing and scheduling information the council requested.