Englewood oversight committee reviews rec center redesign: more showers, universal locker move and pickleball plans

At the July 24 Oversight Committee meeting in Englewood City, staff summarized community feedback and design changes for the proposed recreation center renovation after a recent public engagement session.

Committee members were told that roughly 50 people visited the design open house the prior week to review conceptual plans and offer comments. Sarah (staff member) said the most consistent responses were requests for benches rather than picnic tables, and for more traditional locker‑room showers rather than shifting too many showers to the pool deck.

Why it matters: the rec center serves multiple user groups — lap swimmers, classes, parents and people with lower mobility — and the design changes would affect access, privacy and safety inside the building as well as how the facility functions for drop‑in and programmed activities.

Staff said the revised plan would move the universal locker room closer to the front desk, add more showers to gendered locker rooms (about five to six per locker room in the current proposal), and keep four cabanas that include showers; one cabana layout includes an adult changing space intended to help users with reduced mobility receive assistance. Sarah (staff member) said the cabana option was “well received” by patrons who identified accessibility needs.

The design team also proposed both a dry sauna (already on site) and a new steam room. Community input on shower enclosures was mixed: some patrons favored frosted glass doors for visibility and cleaner upkeep, while others preferred curtains for cost and replacement ease. Sarah noted the staff emphasis on safety in wet‑heat areas and said glass fronts would allow lifeguards and staff a clearer line of sight into steam and sauna rooms.

On the small‑water features, staff described two design options: separate entry stairs into a hot tub and a cold plunge, or a shared set of stairs for both. The proposed hot tub would seat about 12 people; the cold plunge would have capacity for about three. Sarah said the project team is leaning toward separate entry stairs to reduce congestion.

To accommodate additional pool‑mechanical equipment the design would extend the building about 15 feet on the northwest side, adding space for pumps, filters and chemical storage, staff said. That extension would run beneath the existing track area.

The proposal includes two outdoor pickleball courts on the far northwest corner of the complex, with room to add two more in the future if the budget allows. Staff said the proposed courts are not currently ADA accessible and would require work to meet accessibility standards. Play would likely be a mix of drop‑in open play and reserved league times; staff said they may add reservations if demand increases. Elizabeth (committee member) asked whether solar lighting was an option for the courts; staff said it could be considered but that tapping into existing electrical poles might provide more reliable, controllable lighting.

Staff said they are continuing outreach (online survey, yard signs and lobby displays) and will refine designs based on comments. The Oversight Committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 20 and staff invited public input at upcoming engagement opportunities.

Provenance: First related remarks began at the committee’s discussion of the recreation center design (transcript block starting at 97.38 seconds) and the discussion continued through the pickleball conversation that closed around the rec‑center item (transcript block ending at 785.27997 seconds).

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article: Sarah (staff member); Amanda (staff member); Elizabeth (committee member).