Photo by Bob Wayt, THPRD

Sunset Swim Center upgrades under way

The Sunset Swim Center, located at 13707 NW Science Park Drive, (adjacent to Sunset High School) is getting some much-needed renovation thanks to money from the Parks Bond Measure passed by voters last fall. Bourke Construction, a contractor for the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD), is busy repairing the air circulation tunnel at Sunset’s indoor pool.

The concrete air tunnel is located under the pool deck and encircles the pool. It supplies warm air from a boiler in the basement to the pool area for swimmers and spectators. Due to corrosion, the tunnel had slowly deteriorated during the 49-year life of the swim center and needed replacing.

Repairs, which began in mid-April, are expected to take about two months, during which the pool will be closed to the public. “We regret the temporary inconvenience, but this project will ensure structural integrity and a continued safe environment for our Sunset patrons well into the future,” said Doug Menke, THPRD general manager. “We look forward to project completion and reopening the pool June 1 in time for the busy summer season.”

Once the repairs to the tunnel are made, there will be new tile installed in the pool gutter as well as a complete recoating of the pool deck with non-skid epoxy. The hand rails at the four entry/exit points of the pool tank will be replaced, along with the underwater pool lights. Finally, there will be a complete cleaning of the facility before opening.

The $275,000 project is part of a $100 million bond measure passed by voters last fall. Other bond-funded work scheduled for Sunset Swim Center will include a seismic upgrade and parking lot improvement. The parking lot pavement will be replaced with permeable asphalt to reduce runoff to local streams. Timetables for that work are still under development.

Lower-interest bond sale means tax savings

Following a strong credit rating issued recently by two national agencies, the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District sold $58.5 million of municipal bonds in April. The bonds sold at an average interest rate of 4.19 percent, which means savings for local property taxpayers. The resulting tax rate will be 32 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, a 14 percent reduction from the projected rate of 37 cents per $1,000.

THPRD’s Parks Bond Measure 34-156 is providing funds for land acquisition and dozens of improvement projects focused on parks, trails, natural area preservation, athletic fields, expansions of the Elsie Stuhr Center and the Conestoga Recreation & Aquatic Center, and replacement and rehabilitation of aging facilities. The $58.5 million will underwrite the first 2-3 years of projects. THPRD will issue the remaining $41.5 million when needed to fund the rest of the projects.

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