OPC Receives Feedback on a Future Oxford City Pool

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

The majority of local residents who took part in a recent survey in regard to a new city pool value having more shade structures than any other amenity.

The Oxford Park Commission put an Aquatic Facility Interest and Opinion Survey in January, aimed at all Oxford and Lafayette County residents to provide input on what a new pool should look like, how much it should cost, and what features it should provide.

OPD received 873 responses to the 21-question survey.

About 61 percent of the people who took the survey said they use the Oxford City Pool.

More than 80 percent said shade structures were the most important feature. About 55.4 percent said having a zero-depth entry was important. Interactive splash zones, water slides, concession amenities, and a lazy river each had scores above 40 percent. Aquatic climbing walls had the lowest number of votes at 20 percent.

The majority, about 52 percent, said they use the pool mainly for open swim time and about 28 percent said they visit the pool in the summer several times a week.

About 54 percent of those taking the survey said they do not use public pools other than the Oxford City Pool.

About 45 percent rated the quality of the existing City Pool as “fair.” About 40 percent rated the quality as “good” and 12 percent rated it as “poor.” Three percent rated the pool quality as “excellent.” About 50 percent rated the amenities at the pool as “fair.”

When asked how important they thought it was for Oxford to provide expanded aquatic/recreation opportunities for citizens, about 59 percent said “extremely important” and 80 percent said they felt the city needs a public, city-owned pool. Only 1.5 percent answered that it was not important and 14 percent said they were “unsure.”

More than 62 percent said they would support an increase to the pool’s current $ 3-a-person admission fee and the majority said a 5-10% increase would be the most acceptable.

The current City Pool, built in 1978, is showing its age. The Oxford Board of Aldermen and the Oxford Park Commission have been spending thousands of dollars to put “band-aids” on the pool and its deck to keep it open.

In September, the Board of Aldermen approved hiring PryorMorrow, the architecture firm that presided over the design and construction of the Ulysses “Coach” Howell Activity Center, to determine the feasibility of building a new public pool.

The Board voted last year to make a new city pool one of its top priority projects.

Preliminary plans call for building a new pool somewhere inside Stone Park.