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This is the sixth year that PM has published its swimming pool section in the December issue. The pools that are featured are owned and operated by local governments. In the August and September issues, readers were invited to share pool stories and photos. Here are the contributions the magazine received.
BANNING, CALIFORNIA
It's no secret that Banning (population 30,641) is booming, and its spike in population means that more and more families are moving into the area, searching for ways to entertain themselves and battling the desert heat.
A short walk from the downtown is Banning's newest facility, the Repplier Park Aquatic Center. This $4.2 million midtown oasis meets the recreational needs of local families and improves the city's existing community services programming. Since its June 2007 opening, the pool has provided a haven for Banning's youth, a shelter from the heat, and a friendly welcome to groups of youngsters who come for community swim classes.
Emphasis on fun and family are the key ingredients in the success of the pool complex. The center's amenities include two pool slides and a group of water features to go along with concessions, lockers, and office buildings; restroom facilities; trellises; and overhead lighting.
The centerpiece, however, is the pool itself. The beach-entrance, infinity pool is so named because swimmers can walk right in without the hassles of clamoring down steps or creating huge, awkward splashes and because there are no visible walls surrounding the water.
Banning's former facility was going to require major renovations in order to meet current state health department standards and to conform to the city's parks and recreation master plan. The alternative to this extensive work was to build a new complex from the ground up.
The project site was later earmarked to include an additional competition pool, but the construction of a similar pool at nearby Banning High School allowed the city to re-engineer the project to accommodate a splash pad inside the complex. Admission prices have not changed since, remaining at 65 cents per person.
The Repplier Park Aquatic Center project stayed afloat thanks to contributions by generous agencies. Nearly $1 million was provided through a community development block grant sponsored by the Riverside County Economic Development Agency. Most of the...