Oak Harbor seeks resident input on proposed recreation center forums

Oak Harbor is putting a basic but expensive question in front of residents: if the city builds a year-round recreation center, what should it change for kids, teens, families and seniors, and what would it cost to get there?

Two public forums are scheduled to gather that answer, with one set for April 14 at The Book Rack and another on April 16 at The Center in Oak Harbor. The city has also opened a wish list and survey as it tries to measure what people in Oak Harbor and neighboring communities say they need from an indoor recreation space.

City leaders have been clear that the project is still in the feasibility stage and does not guarantee construction. At a March 24 council workshop, officials said the study is meant to test whether the idea fits the city’s means and community needs, not to promise a building. Mayor Pro Tempore Tara Hizon said the city wants to fill service gaps rather than duplicate what already exists, while Councilmember Chris Wiegenstein said funding would likely be a major public concern. Councilmember James Marrow said Oak Harbor’s mix of Navy families, retirees and other residents makes it hard to get a true read on public opinion, and Councilmember Bryan Stucky said earlier, smaller planning efforts produced poor feedback.

The study is being funded by a $200,000 appropriation from the Washington State Legislature’s supplemental capital budget. The city said it received notice of that money on March 7, 2025, after the council unanimously approved submitting the request on January 16, 2024. The feasibility work is expected to look at possible locations, amenities, services, building size, staffing needs, cost estimates and a cost-benefit analysis.

That makes the forums more than a routine public meeting. The question is not simply whether Oak Harbor wants a recreation center, but what kind of center could actually serve the city. Earlier community comments tied the idea to youth programs, family use, mental health and the local economy, and those same tradeoffs are likely to shape the conversation now: whether a center should focus on gyms, multipurpose rooms, after-school activities, senior programming or something broader.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department says its mission is to improve quality of life and attract visitors through recreational facilities and services. That mission is being carried forward during a staffing transition, with Brian Smith no longer serving as parks and recreation director and City Administrator Sabrina Combs handling that role temporarily. Magi Aguilar, who moved from the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce to City Hall in 2024, is serving as study project manager and is helping lead the outreach effort.

BerryDunn consultant Rich Neumann said the firm is using immersive engagement, including pop-ups, business partnerships and incentives, to draw responses beyond what social media alone can produce. For Oak Harbor, the forums are a checkpoint: a chance to shape the project before the city decides whether the recreation center concept should move ahead in its current form.