As most of us are aware, there are not a lot of options for swimming and "Recreation Center" types of activities in close proximity to Fountain. Widefield has an aging center and there are a couple of small outdoor pool facilities for summer use. Fort Carson and the YMCA have good facilities for those who have access and are willing to drive a bit further. But in the Fountain area, there just aren't many options.
For years, many in Fountain have raised the idea of bringing the community together in pursuit of a Recreation Center and about a year ago, representatives from the City of Fountain, School District #3, School District #8, the YMCA, and the Fountain Valley Senior Center came together to discuss that very idea. The County also supported the conversations as a silent partner. The group understood that the only way to get a Recreation facility in our area was to work together in collaboration. As a consequence of those discussions, the group hired Ballard*King & Associates (B*K) to put together a feasibility study of this idea to help us determine if the concept had merit or not.
Recently, the study was completed and the group is now working on bringing together the primary elected Boards (City Council, D3 and D8 Boards) to receive a presentation of the findings and to begin discussions on how we make this idea a reality. As we nail down the details of that joint meeting, we will be inviting the public to attend, listen to the presentation and provide some feedback. If the respective Boards choose to embark on the journey to establish a Recreation Center for our area, it will be a long road with the need for a lot of public input on the way.
It's been a very interesting process so far with a lot of good discussions and a genuine desire to see a great facility built for area residents. However, I once had a Mayor make the statement that "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." In other words, talking about a Recreation Facility is one thing, but now it's time to see if those ideas stick with the greater community and if we are ready to take the steps to make it happen.
Stay tuned and involved and you can be part of that decision!