City of Camas to Hold Open House on Crown Park Redesign

Camas, WA — Camas City officials are holding an open house Wednesday, June 27 from 6-8 pm at Lacamas Lodge to present and gather input about a new proposed Crown Park redesign plan.

Late last year, inspectors mandated closing the Crown Park Pool until it meets code, which would require hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations. The Camas Parks and Recreation team said those renovations would only sustain the pool for a short period of time — and recommended closing the pool all together.

”The pool’s maintenance costs have risen dramatically in recent years,” said Camas City Parks and Recreation Director, Jerry Acheson. “The city subsidizes 50 percent of the pool’s costs.”

The city has been planning for alternatives, and presented various plans last year. They held a public forum this past winter on how to proceed with renovations, and the City Council voted to demolish the 64-year-old pool. A decision on what to put in its place — if anything — has not been determined.

City leaders are inviting the public to participate in Wednesday’s public open house, but supporters of rebuilding or renovating the pool aren’t impressed.

Local supporters of the Crown Park pool and park have created a group called Friends of Crown Park, and they feel their voice isn’t being heard by the city.

“I’m a little miffed over them (the city) repeatedly saying that ‘public input has been integral to the process’ when the massive amount of public input has pointed straight toward the residents’ desire to keep a pool in the park,” said Camas resident, Anastasia McDonnell. “Yet they haven’t taken any of the hundreds of voices across social media platforms, public rallies, and the 1,300+ signatured  petitions to heart in their plans. At all the public hearings I’ve attended there has been zero support for a splash pad.”

To learn more, visit www.cityofcamas.us

Crown Park Pool Memorial

Proposed Redesign