Last night City Council voted unanimously to upgrade the McIntire wading pool to keep it open, Rachana Dixit writes in today’s Daily Progress. The facility requires significant upgrades, and it’s not clear that it can survive in the face of the interchange planned for the McIntire/250 Bypass intersection, but the goal is now to keep it operational.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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For the record, I think making a commitment to keep the pool before we have a master plan for that side of the park, or know what will happen with the parkway, is a mistake.
I also think it’s a stunning lack of vision to commit to an old pool leaking a million gallons of water, when at the very least you could modernize the pool so that it would appeal to a broader section of the public. I know people have an attachment to things like that because they grew up playing in them. I grew up playing on the airplane at McIntire, but once it was decided it was a liability it was gone. Same with the big wooden hamster wheel thingy at Pen Park. Yes, I’d love to have saved those too, but it was percieved as impractical and a liability so they didn’t. Why is this different?
Truthfully, this feels like a political move to appease those who were angry about both the parkway and the YMCA. To be clear though, I’m not so bothered by the decision to keep the pool, but rather that the discussion didn’t come in the context of the larger plan for the park.
Did I call that one, or what?
http://www.cvillenews.com/2009/03/31/mcintire-pool/#comments
I love it when I’m right. Vote 5-0, a unamimous gesture of consideration for the rate payers.
With the wading pool, softball fields, YMCA, parking lot and MCP interchange – I think that’s the master plan.
“Last year, the pool used 274,535 gallons of water, though the amount is on the decline.”
There’s a quote in the WCAV version of the story: “The wading pool is sort of like a stroll in the park, a quiet experience that is unique and dedicated to toddlers”. How quiet could it possibly be with Rt 250 running right by it! They should put the money toward relocating the pool somewhere else in the park, especially if the Meadowcreek Parkway is going to land right next to it in 2010.
Quiet is one thing, but high urine content and e-coli is another. I wouldn’t go in there with hip waders on. Like I’ve seen they make this special toddler combo swim/diaper now. What the hell is that?