A May 19th City of Snoqualmie Town Hall meeting about a potential Snoqualmie Valley YMCA/Community Center expansion has been rescheduled and re-titled a ‘Community Meeting.’ It will now happen on June 9th from 6PM – 7:30PM at Cascade View Elementary School, 34816 SE Ridge Street.
According to the City of Snoqualmie, the June 9th Community Meeting will include an ‘informative presentation followed by an interactive element for community members to express thoughts about the project.’ It will be at Cascade View Elementary School, 34816 SE Ridge St in Snoqualmie.
The city said teens are encouraged to attend the community meeting, and children are welcome. Free sandwiches, cookies, and beverages will be available.
For the past three years, the Snoqualmie YMCA – with whom the city contracts to run the facility it owns – has said it is outgrowing the space due to a high volume of member and community use. In response, in March a temporary portable structure was added in front of the building.
The Mayor and City Administration are now proposing a permanent expansion that would increase the facility to approximately 35,000 sq. ft., adding an aquatics area, two multi-purpose spaces and expand the cardio/exercise room. The aquatics area is proposed to have a warm water pool and 4-6 lanes for lap swimming.
During his April State of the City Address, Mayor Larson proposed funding the estimated $12.5 expansion with $4 million of city capital funds; a $6 million ‘councilmatic’ bond; and $2.5 million from YMCA fundraising and a potential facilities grant.
The city council would have to approve any proposed councilmanic bond. In past meetings councilmembers have discussed wanting to hear from as many citizens as possible about the community center expansion topic.
In 2002, 2006 and 2008 the city ran capital bonds to build a large community center with a pool, but none of those bonds achieved the required 60% supermajority voter approval. So it built a smaller facility with money set aside from a the developer of Snoqualmie Ridge and then contracted the YMCA to run it. The Y doesn’t pay a lease on the facility, instead is required to pay all and future building maintenance and operations costs, capital replacement costs, and staffing costs related to the city-owned building.
