Canton voters say ‘yes’ to town pool project

An overwhelming majority of residents who made it to the polls on Tuesday voted to “keep Canton swimming” and finance the cost of a new town pool facility, paving the way for construction to begin at the conclusion of the upcoming summer season.

While turnout was modest, nearly 80 percent of the 1,907 ballots cast in the May 28 special election were in favor of the $5.9 million override, with the ‘yeas’ outnumbering the ‘nays’ by a margin of 1,501 to 406.

The strongest support came from precincts 2 and 5 (82.1 and 80.2 percent, respectively), followed by the town pool’s “home precinct” — precinct 1 — at 79.5 percent. Precinct 4 garnered 76.5 percent support, followed by precinct 3 (74.4) and precinct 6 (74.3).

Despite receiving near-unanimous support from town meeting voters and the backing of several town boards, the project encountered a late wave of opposition on the Everything Canton Facebook group, prompting more than a few observers to predict a close vote on election day. Critics were mostly concerned about the cost of the project with a number of them suggesting that the money would be better spent on other public uses, such as road repairs and education expenses.

Ultimately, however, Canton voters voiced a clear preference for preserving a public swimming option and for revitalizing a town asset that has served thousands of individuals and families over four-plus decades.

Among those who was pleased with the outcome of the vote was Dennis Aldrich, a longtime Parks & Recreation maintenance supervisor who has “helped keep the pool running for the past 28 years.”

“I just want to thank the town of Canton for their support of the town pool renovation project,” Aldrich wrote in a letter to the Citizen. “I’m sure there was apprehension by some in the decision to invest in this community project, but this is by no means simply an investment in a structure or a facility. This is an investment in our children and our community.

“Whether you will frequent the pool or not, your support of this project will benefit many people for years to come.”

The total project cost has been pegged at $6.4 million, of which roughly $500,000 has already been allocated. The remaining $5.9 million, as a result of Tuesday’s vote, will be bonded over a 20-year period at a cost to the average taxpayer of approximately $30 per year.

Plans call for the demolition of the existing pool facilities, followed by construction of a new pool with zero-entry access, a new deck, bathhouse, splash pad for younger children, and various site improvements. The pool will have swimmers’ lanes and the new bathhouse will have additional facilities as well as storage space. Recreation officials have indicated they will make every effort to keep the existing pool operational this summer before commencing work on the new pool around Labor Day in anticipation of a summer 2020 opening.

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Posted by Jay Turner on May 31 2019. Filed under News, Town Election, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.