Support the Kirkland ARC for safety and recreation | Letter

Published 11:08 am Monday, February 23, 2015

Kirkland City Council building the ARC on the Juanita Ballpark site is finally something to cheer about.

This is the first time I feel compelled to write you to express my appreciation of the City Council of Kirkland. Yes, we still have excessive development everywhere, and rubber-stamping of re-zoning all over the place, but I noticed two good things of late that need to be mentioned: the new Cross Kirkland Corridor, and the proposed Aquatic Recreational Center (ARC). I want to congratulate the council on doing something worthwhile for it’s citizens.

The ARC, specifically, has made me very hopeful, since the city is so obviously in desperate need of swimming facilities. Honestly, we really need two pools, both for recreation – swimming is a sport that saves your joints – and for safety – children drowning is the second leading cause of childhood mortality. But the proposed ARC is wonderful, and the location on the ball-field side of Juanita Beach Park will tie in wonderfully with the existing beach park. We can make the site useful for all residents instead of it just being a parking lot. The proximity to Juanita Beach Park will ensure that the whole area will become a magnet for active residents (and hopefully get non-active ones out too). This will be an enhancement to the whole area that is desperately needed.

My only worry is that the pool at Juanita High School might close prior to this project opening. Currently there are very few places to swim (even if you join a private club). I understand that lessons sell out within minutes. That is appalling for a city like Kirkland that prides itself on it’s waterfront. This deficiency should be addressed as soon as possible for all our sakes.

I want to encourage all citizens of Kirkland to support our City Council in this wonderful project. This is the huge chance of the city to achieve a true Legacy that we will all be proud of, and we should do everything we can to move forwards.

Karl Voss, Kirkland