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Council hears engineers: two aging pools unsafe; park board recommends closing Southeast and Southwest
Summary
After an assessment staff told council that Southeast and Southwest pools have widespread structural problems — voids under decks, leaks and decades‑old plumbing — the park board recommended closing both; council asked staff to return with options including an indoor replacement study and a phased closure plan.
Amarillo parks staff told City Council on Dec. 9 that two of the city’s outdoor pools are approaching the end of their useful lives and, in their current condition, are likely unsafe to operate.
Park superintendent Brad Nalley presented field inspections showing deck settlement, large voids beneath pool beam foundations, extensive cracking and plumbing that is original to mid‑20th‑century construction. Staff said patching or replastering would be a temporary band‑aid and warned of the unknown scope (and cost) of subsurface repairs that would be exposed only if crews opened decks and examined foundations. Preliminary numbers discussed during the presentation included about $450,000 for replastering per pool plus equipment replacement costs; staff described additional unknown concrete and structural repairs that could substantially increase the cost.
The park board voted 8–1 to recommend closure of Southeast and Southwest pools and asked council to consider long‑term replacement options — including indoor aquatic facilities, splash pads or a consolidated regional natatorium — that could serve competitive and year‑round programming. Several council members said they supported closing the pools for safety reasons and asked staff to return with a plan that could include phased consolidation, possible transportation options to existing facilities, and a feasibility study for an indoor facility that could host high‑school meets and year‑round programming.
"I'm not comfortable opening them up in May in their current state," Nalley said, citing a discovered void that could pose a structural failure risk. Council members and staff discussed how splashing pad replacements would not generally be revenue generators but that an indoor natatorium could serve competitive needs and senior programming year‑round. Staff will bring back specific closure actions and a study plan for replacement options as a future agenda item.
