The Columbia Association is contemplating replacing a CA Pool with a splashpad and supporting community amenities (a play space, benches, etc...).  These amenities would be available to everyone and would not require a membership. Bryant Woods pool has been suggested as a potential possibility.  

While an amenity such as this sounds like an amazing opportunity, we do not believe that Bryant Woods is the best location for such a project.  After speaking with neighbors and residents of the Bryant Woods community, we believe the impact to our neighborhood outweighs any potential benefit.  Here are just a few sentiments expressed:

1) Residents feel strongly that a splash pad park would significantly increase traffic and congestion in what is currently a quiet residential area. The neighborhood simply does not have the parking capacity or infrastructure to safely absorb this additional activity.

2) Families with older children and teenagers noted that the proposal does not reflect their needs at all. Replacing a pool, an amenity that serves all ages, with a feature geared almost exclusively toward young children effectively removes one of the few multigenerational community assets we have. These are children who eventually age out of it. Adults who use the pool for exercise, leisure, or social connection would be left without any comparable alternative.

3) The proposed plan seems to extend well beyond the current pool area.  By extending the premises, CA would effectively be cutting into wooded areas, unhousing local wildlife and fundamentally changing the character of the site and diminishing one of the last remaining pockets of neighborhood green space.

4) Residents also expressed concerns about the potential impact on property values. Neighborhood pools are widely viewed as desirable amenities for homebuyers. Replacing a pool with a splash pad park, an amenity with a much narrower age appeal, could make the area less attractive to future buyers and reduce the long term value of our homes.

We would encourage CA to rethink the use of a small neighborhood.  Instead, using a location better suited to high levels of activity - one with infrastructure and accessibility that better supports a project of this size.   

Taken together, the proposed project feels like it removes far more from the Bryant Woods community than it offers. It eliminates a long standing community gathering place that supports swim lessons, teen involvement, summer employment opportunities, and multigenerational recreation. It reduces the variety of amenities available to residents, increases noise and nonresident visitation, and disrupts both the environmental and social fabric of the neighborhood.

The sentiment from residents is overwhelmingly negative. As a neighborhood, we value amenities that strengthen connections among neighbors, respect the character of our surroundings, protect natural spaces, and serve people of all ages. The splash pad park proposal does not align with those values.

Thank you for your time and interest.