Some further thoughts prompted by the however naive social media comments favoring a community pool:
However undersized may be the proposed pool for the city land at Pt. Dume; how overstaffed its expected, municipal management, and how by any measure unused the pool will be, given Malibu's select, shrinking demographics, and alternative bathing facilities, the pool should be rejected for yet other reasons:
These include the design constraints of the site itself, the poor, inadequate egress and access off a curved PCH, dangerous steps from a heavily trafficked, signaled intersection, its proximity to an ESHA, the lack of expanded poolside public areas for family and friends socializing, and lights for evening programs. Then there is the sure-to-escalate construction costs. of $60 plus million.
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Needed is a hard nosed cost benefit analysis, a “pro forma,' weighing all direct and indirect expenses, identifying the actual us$s, and estimating their use. If done, I suspect the pool will be proven a financial black hole for the city, that if inexplicably advanced will need proliferate public funds and resident subsidies.
Meanwhile, further considerations should be given to the increased joint use of the Malibu High School and Pepperdine pools, perhaps encouraged by a city contribution to have more flexible scheduling, the senior, free “Silver Sneaker” pool activities over the hill at LA Fitness, and then, of course, there is the Malibu public beaches.
