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Residents urge Boulder council to preserve South Boulder Rec Center pool, criticize Fund Our Future questionnaire
Summary
Dozens of public commenters at the April 16 meeting urged the council to preserve core amenities at South Boulder Recreation Center — especially the pool and gym — and said the city's Fund Our Future questionnaire lacks a clear option to express that preference. Park users, youth coaches and families warned of lost services and inequitable trade-offs if consolidation proceeds.
Dozens of speakers filled the public-comment portion of Boulder's April 16 council meeting to press the city to preserve core amenities — notably the lap pool and gym — at the South Boulder Recreation Center and to correct what several called a biased prioritization questionnaire.
Christine Briscoll told the council that the Fund Our Future survey "asks residents to prioritize Boulder's funding needs, but it fails to include the very thing that thousands of people have signed a petition asking for and are showing up to city council meetings asking for." Several speakers said the questionnaire's wording and fine print steer funding toward Parks and Recreation's preferred consolidated projects rather than allowing residents to prioritize maintaining distributed core services.
Youth athletes and coaches described concrete consequences. Skyler Finley, Fairview High School boys swim coach, said his program relies on South Boulder pool access: "We have 52 boys on our roster. The girls team had close to 70 this year. If we lose pool access at South, I would expect to lose 50% of those in the first year and another 20% of those swimmers the following year." He and student speakers said loss of a walkable pool would reduce lifeguard recruitment, swimming instruction and a steady pipeline of community safety skills.
Other speakers echoed equity and access concerns. Parents said they chose neighborhoods for family-friendly amenities and described long drives to other rec centers for classes; several presenters asked council to prioritize walkable access for children and older residents. Architects and longtime users urged council to consider renovation and phased repairs rather than demolition, citing a January 2025 Perkins & Will condition assessment that found the building structurally sound and amenable to upgrades.
Staff responded during the meeting that the Fund Our Future exercise is a prioritization tool with an online notes field and upcoming engagement sessions; staff encouraged residents to use the notes field and to attend additional outreach events. Council members asked staff to clarify scenario definitions (Scenario A: new building without pool; Scenario B: new building with pool) and asked for additional detail on the timeline and funding trade-offs.
Outcome and next steps: No formal council vote occurred on rec-center policy at this meeting. Council directed staff to provide clarifying information and to return detailed cost and scenario materials at future study sessions; residents said they will continue advocacy and the petition campaign.
What to watch: May 14 study session (staff said they would bring further materials) and any updates to the Fund Our Future questionnaire or staff-provided scenario analyses.
