Jamestown seeks public input on outdoor pool project plans

Jamestown residents were asked to help decide how much the city should spend, and what kind of outdoor pool it should build, as the Jamestown Parks and Recreation District held a community input open house at The Bunker, 1520 3rd St. NE. The biggest unanswered question on the table was cost, because the district’s last estimate for a new pool, drawn up in 2019, came in at about $4 million.

The district said it was “excited to begin planning” for the future of Jamestown’s outdoor pool and set up its outdoor-pool webpage as a central place for concepts shared at the open house, planning details and continued public input. The event was more than a calendar item for the parks board. It was a chance for residents to influence whether Jamestown moves ahead with a true outdoor swimming pool again, and if so, what features, operating model and price tag the community is willing to support.

That conversation has been shaped by the city’s earlier experience. JPRD’s planning materials say the former outdoor pool closed after the 2017 summer season because of high costs and low visitation. Average yearly attendance from 2013 through 2015 was 4,207 visitors, and the pool lost more than $120,000 per year during its last five years of operation. In 2019, the district estimated annual operating costs for a new outdoor pool at about $122,000.

The earlier concept was modest by water-park standards: a basic rectangular recreational pool with a zero-entry area, a small slide and a possible diving bay, but no lap lanes. Even that version raised a practical concern that still hangs over the project today. JPRD says staffing an outdoor pool would be a challenge and could require four to six lifeguards per shift, a major expense for a district that has said it has limited ability to absorb long-term operating losses on its own.

That is why the discussion now includes comparisons to other recreation assets around town. Meidinger Splash Park, built with private donations, carries annual maintenance and operating costs of roughly $30,000 that are supported by JPRD. The city also has indoor swimming at Two Rivers Activity Center, which makes the question less about whether Jamestown has water recreation at all and more about whether families want a larger outdoor pool, and what they are willing to pay for it.

The issue has already surfaced in broader planning work. A statistically valid community survey administered by ETC Institute during early 2024 and the district’s comprehensive parks plan both ranked an outdoor swimming pool among the top priorities for Jamestown, along with restroom improvements and multi-use trails. JPRD also said residents had clearly asked for new bathrooms in town parks, underscoring that the pool debate is part of a larger discussion about where local recreation dollars should go next in Jamestown, the county seat of Stutsman County and home to 15,849 people at the 2020 census.