Officials of the Elgin Parks and Recreation Department told residents Wednesday night that plans to rebuild the Wing Park swimming pool would include measures to protect the facility from a 100-year flood.
Mechanical equipment would be placed above flood levels, and bath houses and concession stands would be shored up to minimize any damage created by rising water from nearby Tyler Creek.
Monica Meyers, director of the department, said the precautions may help the city get the necessary permits to build on a flood plain.
City officials have been looking at replacing the current pool since learning the site is vulnerable to a 100-year flood. Alternate sites for the new, $3.8 million pool included one near the park’s entrance at Wing Street, or in the center of the park, which is on the west side of the city.
Neighbors opposed those locations, saying trees would be cut down and parking would be inadequate. At Wednesday night’s meeting, the neighbors said they were pleased with plans to keep the pool at the northwest corner of the park, despite the flood risk.
“The pool has been there since the 1930s, and it’s never been a problem before,” said Dorothy Reuter, a neighborhood resident.
Gladys Unruh, another resident, added, “If we got a flood like that (100-year deluge), we’d have a lot more to worry about than a swimming pool.”
The Elgin City Council is to consider the pool plan in July. If permits are granted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, construction would begin in August 1999. The pool would open in July 2000.
