Advocates say public pools are necessary community infrastructure and save lives. Splash pads have become a more affordable option.
Micah Branscum, 3, plays with a water feature at the new Mae Simmons Splash Pad on July 8 in Lubbock . Once considered a form of necessary community infrastructure that commanded millions of federal dollars nationwide, swimming pools across Texas and the U.S. are closing and being replaced with more affordable splash pads.We’re testing using AI-powered tools to provide an audio version of this story. While this audio recording is machine-generated, the story was written by human journalists.
While dozens of children may have enjoyed the new attraction, the grand opening was marred by backlash. Long-time Lubbock residents are upset the city has been unable to upkeep its pools.Lubbock is not the only Texas city going without a beloved community pool during a scorching summer. About 473 miles across the state in Longview, residents are facing a similar fate — and fighting it.
This summer, the pool is an empty relic from Lubbock’s past. The pools were centrally located, open from May to August, and affordable. But after being built in the 1950s, the four pools had all significantly deteriorated — Maxey, Mae Simmons, and Montelongo were past the point of no return. “It’s not the same as a pool or a mixed-use water park with a wave pool or lazy river,” Hernandez said.
“Cities with much smaller tax bases are able to provide these,” said Hernandez in Lubbock. “So the excuse that it’s too expensive doesn’t hold water.” Workers from Williams Construction work to demolish the Longview Swim Center on July 5. The Longview City Council chose to demolish the Swim Center after they found repairing or remodeling the pool to be too costly.The engineering firm found problems with the shell and gutter systems which would have presented risks for swimmers this summer if the pool opened.
Demolition of the Longview Swim Center on July 5. The Swim Center is the third pool abandoned and demolished by the city in the last 20 years and comes after the city stopped providing swimming lessons in 2020. “It's really hard that they're just abandoning pools without a plan to replace them,” said Longview resident Kamie Herrera.to the Centers for Disease Control.
Texas Politics Texas Policy Texas Government Economy Health Care State Government Longview Lubbock
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