Started by Chuenchom Greacen
Oct 5, 2023
Oct 5, 2023
13
Lopez Pool: citing permit process as sole reason for project delays ‘misleading’ and the need for a community conversation
Oct 5, 2023
Kathryn Wheeler’s “Design, permit delays stymie Lopez pool construction†(Salish Current, Sept. 29, 2023[1]) was misleading.
Due to design changes, Friends of Lopez Island Pool (FLIP), did not submit their revised permit application until July 2023. To frame project delays as solely the fault of the county’s permitting process was misleading.
At FLIP’s recent open house, strong opposition was voiced regarding toxicity of PFAS (“forever chemicalâ€) leaching [2] from the dome roof. It is now unclear if there will be another design change to avoid using roof fabric coated in durability enhancing chemicals [3] that the EU has proposed to ban [4].
Our understanding is that the $750-$800k annual operational budget does not include depreciation (funding expected repair and replacement costs). We still do not know how the annual expenses will be met but at the meeting, FLIP indicated they would need to rely on the 80,000 unique visitors to Lopez to make up a significant part of their revenue. Can our small island community shoulder this additional expense and increased reliance on tourists?
Our firehall just announced its wish for an upgraded building. Our hospital district is asking for a 55% tax increase. Our school district has a severe budgetary shortfall that is putting the schools toward a downward spiral. Lack of affordable housing is so dire businesses and organizations cannot keep a trained workforce.
Our island is grappling with accelerating climate impacts and insufficient investment capital to build resiliency. We are drawing “fossil†water from aquifers faster than they can be recharged.
Is a pool the best use of our collective wealth or appropriate in an age of intensifying climate risks?
The project may be privately funded, but its impacts are far reaching. To date FLIP has made some important changes based on community input, but building a pool in this current context remains questionable.
- Chom Greacen, Sandy Bishop, David Bill
Lopez Island
[1] https://salish-current.org/2023/09/29/design-permit-delays-stymie-lopez-pool-construction/
[2] https://www.thembrsite.com/blog/pvdf-membranes-and-pfas-whats-the-difference/
[3] https://fabricarchitecturemag.com/2015/10/01/air-support/
[4] https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/battle-over-PFAS-Europe/101/i31
(This Letter to the Editor was originally published in Salish Current on October 4, 2023)
Due to design changes, Friends of Lopez Island Pool (FLIP), did not submit their revised permit application until July 2023. To frame project delays as solely the fault of the county’s permitting process was misleading.
At FLIP’s recent open house, strong opposition was voiced regarding toxicity of PFAS (“forever chemicalâ€) leaching [2] from the dome roof. It is now unclear if there will be another design change to avoid using roof fabric coated in durability enhancing chemicals [3] that the EU has proposed to ban [4].
Our understanding is that the $750-$800k annual operational budget does not include depreciation (funding expected repair and replacement costs). We still do not know how the annual expenses will be met but at the meeting, FLIP indicated they would need to rely on the 80,000 unique visitors to Lopez to make up a significant part of their revenue. Can our small island community shoulder this additional expense and increased reliance on tourists?
Our firehall just announced its wish for an upgraded building. Our hospital district is asking for a 55% tax increase. Our school district has a severe budgetary shortfall that is putting the schools toward a downward spiral. Lack of affordable housing is so dire businesses and organizations cannot keep a trained workforce.
Our island is grappling with accelerating climate impacts and insufficient investment capital to build resiliency. We are drawing “fossil†water from aquifers faster than they can be recharged.
Is a pool the best use of our collective wealth or appropriate in an age of intensifying climate risks?
The project may be privately funded, but its impacts are far reaching. To date FLIP has made some important changes based on community input, but building a pool in this current context remains questionable.
- Chom Greacen, Sandy Bishop, David Bill
Lopez Island
[1] https://salish-current.org/2023/09/29/design-permit-delays-stymie-lopez-pool-construction/
[2] https://www.thembrsite.com/blog/pvdf-membranes-and-pfas-whats-the-difference/
[3] https://fabricarchitecturemag.com/2015/10/01/air-support/
[4] https://cen.acs.org/policy/chemical-regulation/battle-over-PFAS-Europe/101/i31
(This Letter to the Editor was originally published in Salish Current on October 4, 2023)