City staff recommends closing Lucy Park Pool for 2026 season; council praises alternative access plan

City parks staff on May 5 told the Wichita Falls City Council that Lucy Park Pool, built in the 1960s, faces multiple failures and does not meet modern health and safety requirements, and recommended ceasing operation for the 2026 season while arranging alternative swim access.

Kaylee, the parks presenter, told the council the pool had filtration failures and structural surface and coping issues that together would require an immediate investment estimated between $150,000 and $250,000 just to reopen. She said last season’s average daily attendance was about 33 patrons and total season revenue was just under $20,000, figures that staff used to show the facility does not produce operating revenue sufficient to offset the cost of urgent repairs. “The filters were leaking and pretty much have reached the end of their serviceable life,” Kaylee said, and noted that meeting modern code would trigger additional work beyond simple resurfacing.

Rather than attempt a late emergency repair, staff proposed reallocating available funding and partnering with local operators to maintain swim access for residents. The city has worked with Castaway Cove to provide swim lessons and morning access; staff said it would also pursue formal memoranda of understanding with All Hands Cultural Center and Campfire of North Texas, and planned roughly $10,000 grants to cover public access costs at each partner pool. Staff also said summer‑camp groups would be taken to Castaway Cove and that vouchers and reduced‑cost options would be used to protect low‑income access.

Kaylee described a longer‑term plan for aquatics that included a Falls Foundation, corporate gifts earmarked for splash‑pad projects (including a $400,000 donation tied to a water contract and an additional $100,000 per year commitment for 40 years), and pursuing grants to match those funds. Staff noted that a full repair project would require bidding and procurement and that a realistic timeline for substantial capital work would miss the 2026 season.

Council members praised the staff for finding alternatives and asked staff to continue developing MOUs and voucher programs. No formal vote to close the pool was recorded at the meeting; staff recommended ceasing operations for the season and reallocating resources to partner pools, and council discussion indicated support for the plan.

The city will finalize MOUs and logistical details in the weeks before summer, and staff said they expected the splash‑pad project and foundation work to advance on a longer schedule contingent on grant processing and IRS nonprofit approvals.