Aquatic center plans address local concerns
FD project still on scheduleBy BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer
Designers working on the Fort Dodge aquatic center plans are striving to make sure the light and noise from it won't disturb the people who live nearby.
The entire project is still on track to open on June 1, 2010, as Craig Erickson from the consulting firm Shive-Hattery in West Des Moines told the City Council Monday. He said construction should start in April 2009.
Erickson and Dave Schwartz, of Water's Edge Aquatic Design in Lenexa, Kan., explained that the center's three pools will be built on the western end of the site near 32nd Street and 10th Avenue North. That's different from plans displayed before the August referendum election, which showed the pools located more toward the eastern end. Erickson said that shift was necessary because of the low level of the ground on the east side.
Schwartz said the center will be surrounded by 4- to 5-foot-high berms to block the view of the site.
He added that all lights on the property will be aimed so there is ''no spillover light'' that could be a nuisance to people who live nearby.
According to Schwartz, the largest structure on the property, the tower leading to the water slides, will be ''one and two-thirds football fields'' from the nearest house.
The plans for the center will be presented Monday evening during an open house from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building, 819 First Ave. S.
Also, the project will come before the Board of Adjustment Dec. 2, at which time the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department will ask for a special exception to allow the use of the site for a park and aquatic center.
The center will consist of:
- An eight-lane lap pool with diving boards and slides.
- A shallow pool for young children featuring water toys and a bucket that dumps water on bathers.
- A pool with three large slides.
- A channel called a lazy river.
It will be built on 23 acres donated by Tom and Norma Schmoker, of Fort Dodge.
In the August referendum, voters gave the city government permission to borrow up to $8.95 million to develop the center and an adjacent park. That debt will be paid off with property taxes.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
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boatassembler
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12-02-08 7:39 AM
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Too bad redwood973 you lost get over it, If it came up for another vote you'd lose again. Waste of time.
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redwood973
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12-02-08 3:27 AM
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boatassembler, since math seems to be so hard to understand for the supports of the aquatic folly I'll explain it for you: the cost of a special election to over turn the vote added to the cost of the money already wasted on this folly will still be less than the money spent if the folly was allowed to proceed.
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SPORTSMAN
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12-01-08 3:25 PM
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No need for another election, because these kind of people always make sure they get what isn't good for Ft.Dodge. Whatever. Lets see who gets the last laugh when this center needs repairs,etc. and they have to ask us for even more money. Oh wait its still them that will get that laugh too, cause its our money again!!
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boatassembler
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11-30-08 12:29 AM
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redwood973: You sound like just another sore loser. When will you understand that until this city spends money on improvements, it's future will remain bleek. But let's spend more money on a special election. How sensible is that? You lost. Get used to it. There is no need for a second election. Just a waste of time and money.
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redwood973
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11-27-08 6:30 AM
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Hrm, boatassembler may be on to something. Instead of turning over the record, why not overturn the vote? Cut our losses on this stupidity to what we’ve already stupidly shelled out on this folly. Lets do another vote on overturning the first vote since everyone can now see that this is not the time to be shelling out the mega bucks on something like this, which everyone one of the opponents tried pointing out the fool supports in the first place. Everyone around us is losing jobs. Even Des Moines and Ames and they have a*****of a lot more to offer than we do. How long do you really think it will be before it hits us?
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boatassembler
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11-27-08 12:01 AM
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PEOPLE! It got voted in and yet we still must hear the tired old whining we heard 3 months ago. Could someone please turn over the record?I'm tired of the same old song and dance!
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SPORTSMAN
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11-26-08 4:03 PM
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Lets see this Aquatic center will be used 3 or maybe 4 months total out of a year. But in Iowa its a good investment cause places like Humboldt and Albia are just make so much money from their Aquatic center they don't know what to do with all that money...WRONG! They have lost money every year, but thats ok Ft. Dodge has so much money, right. WRONG again. We will see who gets to LOL last.
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VTwinJim
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11-26-08 2:45 PM
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Paladin 11-25-08 10:52 PM Ladies and gentlemen, the three stooges! | | | v There you go keep making your Mother proud. But then maybe he was raised by a pack of ??
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VTwinJim
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11-26-08 2:31 PM
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Hum do you suppose she all ready knows? I'm bad I know it.
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VTwinJim
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11-26-08 2:27 PM
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Paladin 11-25-08 10:52 PM Ladies and gentlemen, the three stooges! | | | v Funny how one person can have such a higher opinion of themselves. But then again I do find his blind ideas some what humorous. As I sit here with my 4 year old great granddaughter beside me I wonder how she will deal with the great all knowing ones of her time. She all ready knows how to step on bug's. Hum do you suppose her all ready knows?
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FDPOTHOLELOVER
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11-26-08 1:06 PM
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Paladin Look in the mirror! It's the village idiot!
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Paladin
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11-25-08 10:52 PM
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Ladies and gentlemen, the three stooges! | | | v
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VTwinJim
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11-25-08 5:55 PM
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HUEVOSRANCHEROS The problem once again is FD is waaaaaay behind the times and won't do something like that until either Des Moines, Humboldt, Webster City, or even Lehigh does it first. Haaaa....Haaaaaaaa... Haaaaaaa .....Lehigh Now that's a funny one....... I like it.. ROTFLMAO
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HUEVOSRANCHEROS
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11-25-08 5:27 PM
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¡Community gardens are actually pretty common in a lot of major urban centers these days SPORTSMAN. The problem once again is FD is waaaaaay behind the times and won't do something like that until either Des Moines, Humboldt, Webster City, or even Lehigh does it first.
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SPORTSMAN
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11-25-08 2:36 PM
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When Ft. Dodge people are going hungry and some can't feed their families, you may have wished you had turned this 23 acres that was donated into a big community garden...I hear thats what some of the farmers in Texas are doing with some of their land already. If there is no money, I don't people will be saying, "well lets see do I feed my family or take 'em all to the New Aquatic center?"
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