The public is invited to attend a presentation at the Lake Washington High School auditorium addressing the looming closure of Juanita Pool and the decreasing access to aquatics facilities, in general, on the Eastside at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 7.

Hosted by Wave Aquatics, this meeting is an opportunity for the public to hear the facts about this issue, see the vision of potential solutions that benefit the community, and ask questions or provide feedback.

At this meeting, the public will see an assessment of the current facilities which are increasingly falling short of the demand by the growing Eastside community for programs that provide:

· Water safety instruction

· Swim lessons for youth and adults

· Health and fitness programs

· Physical rehabilitation

· Competitive venues for multiple school districts and swim & dive clubs

· Open/unstructured time for all users

The lack of access to important programs that benefit the public through health, fitness and water safety in a community surrounded by water is exacerbated by the trend of aging facilities that have closed recently or are slated to be closed in the near future. This is highlighted by the planned closure of Juanita Pool in the next three years.

Wave Aquatics will present a plan for a new aquatics center that is based both on the public demand for programs and its proven successful track record managing local pools. Public input and support will be a critical piece of this effort to ensure not only that a new facility can be built, but that it will meet the needs of the broadest possible spectrum of the community.