On Monday 10/27/25 the Architectural Board of Review granted Final Design Approval for an improved Ortega Park. The aquatics center is not as impressive as the one we had envisioned, but it will be a great improvement nonetheless. The updated design satisfies the goals stated in our 2021 petition entitled "Re Ortega Park: We need a better aquatics center ~ Se necesita un centro acuático mejor." Link provided here:
When all is said and done, we will have a modest sized aquatic center that offers a wide range of activities to all community members, provides greater aquatic sports access to those who have not had access, allows for simultaneous programming to keep the center economically viable and able to serve more user groups, and will be open year round. This aquatics center will provide a 25 yard pool that can host small swim meets. There is reason to celebrate!
However, Santa Barbara still needs a major aquatics center.
Whether or not this will ever happen is anybody’s guess, but I guarantee that it will require some serious lobbying efforts by key members of the aquatics community.
A first step would be to identify a suitable site for such a project. Reading up on the 2003 Aquatics Complex Feasibility Study might provide some preliminary direction. Here is a link to this report:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16AscnWwbLqHVKWdkHcWpyXC5DKKPEGDu/view?usp=sharing
Finding out how the City operates might be a concurrent step, but don’t ask City staff directly!
An education on aquatics facility development would be useful:
The founders of TOTAL AQUATIC PROGRAMMING, LLC Mick and Sue Nelson are the former Facility Development Directors of USA Swimming and I believe they authored the article referenced above, entitled THE SEVEN PITFALLS OF A POOL PROJECT DEVELOPMENT. It was updated in 2023 and can now be found on their Total Aquatic Programming site: https://totalaquatic.llc/blog/f/the-seven-pitfalls-of-a-pool-project-development
They know a lot about facilities development (!) and are THE consultants to reach out to. The last time I checked their annual conference cost about $400 – a fraction of the cost of typical City – hired consultants. More information on that here:
https://totalaquatic.llc/build-%26-program-a-pool
In addition, according to Mick and Sue Nelson, Kevin Post of Counsilman Hunsaker has the engineering and design expertise to offer suggestions in accordance with California codes and programming needs.
Construction of a major aquatics center in Santa Barbara might not happen in my lifetime, but there is no chance it will ever happen without some movers and shakers in the aquatics community willing to get the ball rolling. Should anyone wish to step up to the plate, we are here to assist if you need us.