(Seguin) — The city of Seguin is moving forward with a feasibility study on the possible creation of a recreation center, a natatorium and an outdoor swimming pool.
Seguin City Council members on Tuesday reached a consensus supporting the need for the study to take place.
Funds for the study were already in the budget, but there’s also been a growing public sentiment asking for the city to consider providing a large-scale recreational project that could include outdoor and indoor amenities.
City Manager Steve Parker says this will get the ball rolling on what will likely be a lengthy process.
“This the first phase of something that can take a while because there are tax implications to this. We are still relatively a small city almost 40,000 population now. When New Braunfels did their Das Rec, (they were) probably closer to 80,000. We are probably more in the area of a YMCA at this point but there’s challenges with that. We will have those discussions but sometimes, you are not in control of that price. I think the price with YMCA is more expensive than it is with Das Rec in New Braunfels,” said Parker.
Parker says they know this is something that the community has wanted for a long time, which is why this study is so important.
“I know this was something that was brought up to me in my initial interview four and a half years ago with former Mayor Don Keil. I know that Mayor Dodgen has been a proponent of a full-blown natatorium. We’ve had discussions, me and her both with Texas Lutheran as well as with the school district. They would love to have a place where we can have competitions and so forth, but it was always set with those expectations of how do we afford this without minimizing this? That Das Rec building was $24 million when it was constructed. In today’s dollars with the cost of construction, it’s closer to $40 million probably maybe even more. That’s almost $2.8 million a year for 20 years just to pay for that building and we have a lot of other needs in this community and so I would really envision that if we want this, that we would want to have some type of bond election to really ask the voters (if) this is something that they would want? That would probably be sometime depending on when the council wants, maybe a November 2025 bond election but we have to do our homework in advance and that’s why we are here tonight to do a feasibility study related to what are the possibilities? What does the community want in a recreation center?” said Parker.
The study will look at every aspect of what the community wants, how much it will all cost, and is it all sustainable if it’s built? Parker says there are some major questions that will need to be answered.
“A lot of families today, when they do have water recreation, they want to see moving water. They want to see splash pads. They want slides, lazy rivers — those types of things in a rec center. They want walking tracks. They want weights. They want nice equipment. What are they willing to pay for that? So, we have to figure out a price point. What is our community able to afford? How many people are interested in this? Is it 10,000 people wanting to pay $50 a month. Is it 5,000 people that don’t want to pay anything at all? Those are the questions that we really need to (answer) and we want to put some type of study together that can really go out and figure out what the community wants and what the community is willing to pay for it — making sure we are educating our public if there is some type of tax rate increase. Are they willing to support it? So, if we don’t do our homework and we underestimate it, it’s going to be a failure,” said Parker.
Council members heard a presentation on the study and how it will proceed. Many of their questions focused on costs and how it could impact other needs in the community. Councilman Paul Gaytan says the need is there, but the overall costs will need to be considered.
“We really need a rec center. I don’t know if we want to look at rec center/outdoor pool; rec center/natatorium, or just rec center or outdoor pool. We need a place to swim, and we need a place to play indoors and so I would like to see for the study to just be clear, rec center/natatorium versus rec center/outdoor aquatics and what are the price differences? Are they really that significant,” said Gaytan.
Parks and Recreation Director Jack Jones, who made the presentation to the council, says the study will look at every possibility. He says each option should be considered.
“You can piece them, however, you want to piece them but there’s definitely three different (options)– dry side, recreation center, gymnasiums and walking track, indoor aquatics, natatorium, competition pools and things like that and the outdoor water park sort of speak. We can look at all of that,” said Jones.
The growing public support for this project was evident during Tuesday’s meeting. Local residents turned out to discuss the issue. Michael Bauman was among them. He says a recreational facility will have huge benefits for the entire community.
“There’s some studies out there as far as what this does to the value of property in increasing your property value which is also great for tax revenue. I know, we need tax dollars to run a city so that’s a very great valid point to look at and additionally, looking at the benefits of this as individuals — mental health, physical fitness — these are all things that are benefiting the community and individual members, benefiting businesses and I don’t see a whole lot of negative,” said Bauman.
Wendy Martin is part of a group of parents that meets regularly in Seguin parks. She says she’s seen firsthand how much of a need there is for this kind of space.
“Our community, from the youngest to the oldest, would greatly benefit by having a recreation center. It’s no secret that physical development is a key factor in decreasing childhood obesity as well as anxiety and depression in teens and adults. This is a need. Our youth and our teens and the adults of our town need this. So, whatever we have to do, let’s raise awareness. Let’s partner with whoever we need to, fund-raise — whatever we need to do to make this idea a reality for our seasoned citizens, us as parents, our children and their children. So we stand and are with the families of Seguin,” said Martin.
Rachael Calk is opening a business that supports runners in the Seguin area. She says having indoor space that could be used year-round and during times where other city facilities, like the Wave Pool, might be closed — would be important for Seguin’s future.
“The biggest thing for us is the heat of the day and they close early. So, they open up right around nap time and it’s not just them. That’s just a big consideration for us and also our pickle ball courts are full. I’ve noticed that the most when I go hit the trail on that side. They are completely full and it’s 100 degrees outside so that can be put into consideration something indoor that would be multi-functional like basketball, volleyball (and) pickle ball. I don’t know how those work but I had someone behind me mention it, so I thought I’d bring it to attention,” said Calk.
Letty Machado says there’s also a need for children with disabilities. She says she wants to make sure that the city also keeps them in mind as they conduct this study.
“Please help our special needs community to be a part of this community,” said Machado.
Mayor Donna Dodgen says they should make the study as expansive as possible. That way they can make the best decision possible going forward.
“I think the more data, the better. You know how I am about data. If we have more data, we can make better decisions and we may miss something. I am old. I might not know what everyone else wants,” said Dodgen.
The next step is for the city to formally approve a contract with the company that’s expected to conduct the study on the city’s behalf. That action will be taken during an upcoming meeting of the Seguin City Council.