Council advances land‑swap first reading as Dogwood Pool’s fate becomes central question

North Canton City Council voted to adopt the first reading of an ordinance authorizing a land exchange with the North Canton City School District on June 15, advancing a proposal that would transfer about 20 acres to the city while allowing a short leaseback of Dogwood Pool to give the city time to plan next steps.

Administration officials described the swap as a statutory land‑exchange permitted under Ohio Revised Code and said the district owns more than 20 acres while the city’s parcels under consideration are smaller. The agreement as presented would allow the city to lease back the pool property for a nominal $1 per year through 2027–2029, a period staff said is intended to permit a master‑planning process and development of a funding strategy.

The meeting’s longest discussion centered on the condition of Dogwood Pool. Parks operations manager Steve Shank told council the pool’s liner has required repeated repairs since a membrane was installed in 2016, and he documented recurring seam failures and structural concerns in the underground pump house. Staff said parts have long lead times, that one major pump previously had to be sourced from Germany, and that the pool is losing substantial volumes of water: a slide presented by staff cited water‑loss estimates of about 80,000 gallons per day and a seasonal operational impact around $150,000. Shank said continued patching can be costly and raises long‑term safety and operational questions.

Council members and public speakers offered competing views on next steps. Several residents and longtime users urged the council to preserve the historic pool. Public commenter Jim Quinn described Dogwood as a “time machine” and warned that replacing it with a modern facility could cost more while losing the pool’s character. Other residents and speakers asked the council to slow the process until financing, traffic, zoning and impacts to nearby facilities such as Arrowhead and school parking are fully analyzed.

Administration said illustrative redevelopment concepts shown to the council were not final plans but designed to show options and the need for a capital stack (mix of land sale proceeds, state/federal grants, sponsorships and city funds) if a new aquatic facility is pursued. Staff estimated that a full rebuild at the existing site would be “multi‑million” dollars — roughly $10–15 million on the high end — and said a partial repair might cost a few million and carry no long‑term guarantee.

City staff also presented transaction‑related cost ranges: title and closing fees estimated at $20,000–$60,000; Seventh Street widening estimates of roughly $200,000–$250,000 without grants (full streetscaping from North Main to Wise $2–2.5 million); and demolition cost ranges that included $250,000–$275,000 for Orchard Hill and an estimated $40,000–$50,000 to demo the pool structure if demolition becomes necessary. Staff noted grant opportunities — including a pending $2.5 million congressional grant application and a Safe Routes to School application for sidewalks — that could materially change the city’s out‑of‑pocket costs.

Council members emphasized that the land swap decision is changeable over several meetings. Multiple council members said they view the transfer as a rare opportunity to gain control over acreage that could be used to expand housing, recreation and the tax base; others urged patience and asked administration to return with a low‑to‑high revenue range tied to concrete development scenarios (single‑family lots vs. townhomes vs. park). Administration committed to provide the requested scenario ranges and to present a parks master plan at the next meeting.

The first reading of the land‑swap ordinance passed in the recorded roll call; at least one council member recorded an opposed vote. Council scheduled additional diligence and public meetings, including a committee meeting on June 22 and a master‑plan presentation next week.

What’s next: Council will receive more detailed revenue scenarios, environmental (phase‑1) due diligence and consultant findings at the upcoming master‑plan meeting. The school board is scheduled to consider related items on July 5, and the council will continue formal readings of the ordinance in subsequent meetings.