A Brief History of SARC | SARCJump to navigation

A Brief History of SARC | SARCJump to navigation



     
 

   

 Fall


Monday – Friday
8:00am – 1:00pm
3:00am – 7:00pm


Saturday
9:00am – 1:00pm


Sunday
Closed
                                           

   


     
 

   


 
     
 
 
 

   







The District, Clallam County Park & Recreation District #1, was formed by local community leaders and concerned citizens in 1962 for the purpose of building an outdoor pool for the kids.  A bond submitted to the voters and passed. The pool was built on a small piece of land obtained from the school district and in the middle of the high school campus. That pool opened, for summertime use only, in 1964.  While that pool was operational, funding was through periodic voter approved maintenance and operations levies, the first in 1966.  Over the years some levy attempts were successful and others not, but with public support, the pool managed to remain operational until 1984 when it was closed permanently due to the rising costs of maintenance of the antiquated and corroded electrical system and associated safety issues.


Many adults in the community saw a need for year around indoor facility, for the kids but also for the adult population who weren't as hardy as the kids, swimming in the cold rainy summer days in the outdoor pool.  A bond to build an indoor pool was placed on the ballot in 1980 and failed.  In 1983, a Kiwanian by the name of John Hughes phoned the Park and Recreation District board to say that the Kiwanis club membership voted 100% to assist in fund raising for the proposed indoor pool to be placed on the ballot in September 1984.  Feasibility studies done by the District indicated that for the proposed community aquatic facility to be successful, other kinds of revenue producing fitness and recreational activities should be included to bring in users other than swimmers. The Board promised to build a facility that would "operate as close to self-sufficient as possible".  A $4.36 million facility to meet all the needs of the community was designed and put on the ballot.  That bond passed with a 61.9% vote.


While the construction bond passed, the levy to operate and maintain it failed.  There was talk of the school taking over the facility, the county, or even dissolving the district.  On Feb. 1988 a subsequent levy request was passed by the voters and the doors were opened.  In the early years of SARC, operations were funded by a series of maintenance and operations levies, $.14/$1000, $.15/$1000, $.14/$1000.  In addition to funding the pool, the levies allowed SARC to accumulate a reserve fund, which in turn allowed the construction of additional facilities to meet the demand and bring in additional revenue. Since the opening, SARC has added parking, lighting, additional locker room space in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms, two outdoor sand volleyball courts, a large well equipped state of the art weight room, a circuit training room, a steam room, and a fully equipped cardiovascular room.  A complete computerized state of the art air to air system replaced the heat pump system to the natatorium to bring an outside supply of air and exhaust it to the outside.  The heating of the pool water was changed from electric to propane.  The facility has been well maintained with a closure of 2-4 weeks every year for deep cleaning and repairs.


In 1994, the original construction bond was refinanced at a lower interest rate, saving tax payers $124,000.   The bond was completely paid off early, in 2004.


In 2002, in the years of Tim Eyman and funding measures failing everywhere, SARC was unable to pass a new maintenance and operations levy in two attempts.  Fees were raised, cost cutting measures were examined and adopted, and SARC has been operating without public tax payer subsidy of any kind, but gradually eating away at the reserve funds accumulated previously.  Timber tax revenue ceased when there was no levy.  The public was originally promised a facility that would "operate as close to self-sufficient as possible", and SARC has done a great job meeting that goal.  SARC has operated with around 80%, far lower than other community aquatic facilities in the state or region.



   

   


     
 

   

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