My family and I hope the proposal to cover the Vashon pool is approved. I think that for many on the island, this would be a wonderful oasis during the winter months. My children are young and it would be so nice to have access to lessons and family swim.

It’s a shame for the pool to sit idle for most of the year, and I believe this to be a wise investment in our community. There are so many things that could be done with the pool if it were open all year.

I also want to say that it concerns me that the owners of the Vashon Athletic Club are putting up a resistance to this proposal. While I completely respect and understand a business owner’s right to protect their private interests, I don’t think that should come at the expense of the rest of the community. The demand for indoor pool time is clearly more than VAC can handle, so why not get more people in the water by better utilizing an asset that we already have? It’s great that the VAC has a pool, but a lot of us either aren’t interested in joining or simply can’t afford it. Plus their pool is small and availability is limited. This should not be an either/or situation. Let’s work together and do what is best for the island.

— Becky Brilliant-Parent