On School District’s priority list, pool sinks to the bottom

While Marathon City Council members have made their stance clear to the Monroe County School District about wanting to partner on a community pool, the School District is saying not so fast..

In a letter to the School Board on June 14, the council asked the district to “develop a pool” on the former Marathon Manor property while working with the city to see what can be done with the housing units, which have sat vacant for years, on the site.

“I guess I responded on behalf of the board somewhat what our consistent position has been: Our willingness to partner on the swimming pool idea would be a land-use-only perspective,” Superintendent Mark Porter told the Keynoter. “We are not prepared or willing to partner on the construction or operation. That would have to be independent of the district.”

The School District bought the Marathon Manor property adjacent to Marathon High School, 350 Sombrero Beach Road, for $7.4 million 12 years ago with the possibility of building affordable housing on it. Empty since, it has been widely cast as the likely spot for a community swimming pool if one is built.

At a School Board meeting Tuesday, the pool subject rose to the surface.

Meanwhile, design plans are underway for an athletic complex behind Marathon High. A portion of nursing home property could be used in a $3.5 million project for athletic fields, a track and increased parking, the latter of which is high priority, Porter said.

“Parking has always been somewhat lacking and I think that’s been at the top of the school’s list of priorities. Now we have some sort of an interest in a track and interest in a pool and I think we all understand not everything is going to fit,” he said.

Porter said preliminary designs could be released in late July for the school project although construction won’t start until summer 2018.

“That’s why we wanted to make it known now that we want a pool” as the design plans come together, said Councilman John Bartus, who suggested sending the request letter to the district. “Even if it means them giving us the land and letting us develop the complex, or letting us lease it so we can develop the pool, we need to figure this out.”

Bartus made two points: Other schools in the Keys with swim teams, like Key West High and Coral Shores High, have access to community pools for meets and practice.

“Marathon should have the same option,” he said, adding the Marathon High swim team travels up and down the island chain on U.S. 1 about three times a week during its season.

Second, it’s been almost a year since a nonbinding referendum found city voters were pretty much split on if the city should get into the business of building and operating a pool. Of 1,726 voters, 865 filled in the bubble next to “yes,” just four more than those who voted against it.

“I know government moves at the pace of a dead snake, but it doesn’t always have to be that way,” Bartus said.

For months, city staff has been gathering information about the feasibility of a community pool in Marathon, set for discussion at the July 11 council meeting. Other possible pool sites could be presented, Bartus said. The meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. at Marathon City Hall near mile marker 52, 9805 Overseas Highway oceanside.

This story was originally published July 1, 2017 at 8:22 AM with the headline "On School District’s priority list, pool sinks to the bottom."