I have been a Kirkland homeowner for 29 years and lifelong Eastside community member. Over the years I have seen our community grow in size and diversity. According to national statistics we are below average for indoor pools with a community of our size. A new pool complex is needed now. I am grateful to the residents who built parks, libraries and pools for me to use as I was growing up. Without the passing of Proposition 1 there will be no year round pool available in Kirkland, without buying an exclusive membership. A healthy lifestyle shouldn’t be exclusive.

On Nov. 3, we have the opportunity to enhance our community by voting for Proposition 1 which will build a multiuse community facility that will promote the health and wellness for all ages. In addition to a state of the art pool, the center will include a basketball court, fitness studio to house dance and yoga and a large community hall that can host civic gatherings, banquets and weddings.

The Aquatics and Recreation Center (ARC) will combine venues that are either going away, in need of updating or currently lacking in our community. Currently, Kirkland only has one pool, Peter Kirk pool which is only open two and half months in the summer. The areas only year round pool is at Juanita High School owned by Lake Washington School District and it is set to be demolished with the school’s impending renovation.

Now is the time to act, so swimming lessons that provide safety for our youth as they use our miles of parks and shoreline, can continue. Throughout the year at any one time over 800 children are in swimming lessons at the Juanita pool. These swimming lessons sell out in minutes, too many lessons for Peter Kirk pool to handle in the summer. When Juanita pool closes there will be little opportunity to learn to swim in Kirkland. Additionally, both Lake Washington and Juanita high swim teams will not be able to practice and most likely will be terminated. Lastly, our growing community currently does not have an affordable venue, either public or private, to host gatherings of 250-300 people, ARC would fill that void.

Considerable time and effort over the last two-plus years has brought us to this exciting opportunity – to build the ARC. Vetting of locations and funding has been extensively researched by community leaders and council members leading to the creation of Proposition 1. Proposition 1 would create a Kirkland Metropolitan Parks District with an independent advisory committee for funding oversite. Creating a Parks District is a brilliant funding mechanism on the part of the city council. Funding through a levy of this size would cost tax payers millions to bring to the ballot. Along with the fact that a levy only funds once and would not provide funds to upgrade or replace outdated infrastructure 20-30 years down the road. The daily operations will be covered by user fees as has been demonstrated by Wave Aquatics running of the Juanita High School pool over the last six years.

Over the nearly three decades that I have been a resident the Council has spent your tax dollars wisely on the services, parks and operations that continue to attract people and companies that want to live and work here, as the record indicates. I see no reason they would waste tax dollars with Proposition 1.

Now we have the ability to choose a well thought out option that will benefit our children and community for generations to come. We can choose to vote for a positive change or let a well thought out opportunity pass us by.

I hope you join me in voting for Proposition 1 Nov. 3.

Blair Elander, Kirkland