November 15, 2022 |
More details are emerging about the proposed Platte Valley Aquatic Center.
Bigfoot 99 sat down with Nick Haderlie, the local man spearheading the project, to talk about the proposed aquatic center in Saratoga.
Haderlie is an attorney for the Silver Spur Ranch. As reported by Bigfoot 99, he has spent the past year putting together a plan for an indoor water-sports complex. Haderlie presented his design to the Saratoga Town Council during the November 8th meeting.
Through his martial arts studio, which is incorporated as a 501-C3 non-profit entity, Haderlie secured about $31,000 worth of donations from 71 donors. He used the money to create a design and feasibility study for the proposed aquatic center. Haderlie said he plans to create another non-profit company to handle the construction and day-to-day operations of the center.
Haderlie said the non-profit would need to be formed before any official business was done with the town. He said he intends to create the non-profit within the next few weeks.
During Haderlie’s presentation to the town council, the Silver Spur attorney told the governing body that he wants to lease a section of town-owned land between the library and high school on West Elm Avenue. When asked why he would rather enter into a lease with the town instead of buying private land, Haderlie said he is trying to save money wherever he can.
Making his “pipe dream” a reality comes down to money. The aquatic center will cost anywhere between $12.5 to $16 million to build. Haderlie has secured donations from various sources covering more than a third of the construction cost.
According to Haderlie’s design documents, the yearly operational budget of the facility would be either side of three-quarters of a million dollars, $655,489 to $818,408, depending on how large the facility is built.
Revenues will be needed to cover the annual nut. To raise a portion of the operating costs, Haderlie pitched the idea to Saratoga Town Council that his non-profit corporation should take over the town’s recreation department and its budget. He admits that the scheme is fuzzy. Even if the town does decide to funnel the rec department budget to Haderlie’s corporation, it won’t be enough. He will still need to raise money from other public sources.
Saratoga Town Council members seemed receptive to the idea. No real objections were raised by the mostly lame duck council. Haderlie, who is hoping to have a vote on the issue before the end of the year, said he hasn’t presented his plan to the Town of Encampment yet. However, the attorney said the committee responsible for guiding the project consists of people from across the area, including the Encampment Town Council.
With the aquatic center being planned to be built on public land basically gifted to Haderlie’s non-profit, and general fund money being allocated to help pay for the complex, questions about how much control the town would have over the facility and its programs are starting to be asked. What kind of input would the town have over the facility?
The attorney said Saratoga could have a town representative on the board of directors. He did not say how large the board would be, but he did say the town’s representative would not directly influence the center’s operations.
Along with the swimming pool, Haderlie would like to see all non-school recreational activities, such as workout equipment, moved into the facility. The attorney said relocating those programs to the aquatic complex would allow the community center to expand its offerings.
With Saratoga’s entire recreation budget redirected to the aquatic center, no money would be left to maintain the outdoor pool at the hot springs, where tourists come every summer. The attorney said the community pool is no longer a worthwhile investment in his opinion.
Haderlie said government grants available to pay for the demolition of the pool, paving the way for improvements to the hot springs.
Whether the grant Haderlie mentioned would pay to remove the pool and improve the hot springs facility is unclear. Also, not part of the attorney’s presentation is how much of the town’s own money would be needed to match the proposed grant. The attorney did say, with the existing pool plumbing, a splash pad could be created in its place.
The recreation consulting firm hired by Haderlie, Ballard King, performed a feasibility study. Several challenges were identified. For starters, the study notes that public funding wouldn’t be enough to pay for everything.
Membership fees will be required. The population may be too small and too old, and the average income may be too low, to support the facility. Haderlie said those issues could be resolved if the entire Upper North Platte River Valley helped make this idea happen.
Another concern identified by Ballard King is the indoor pool in Hanna. Having such a facility nearby would make Hanna residents unlikely to travel to Saratoga to use the aquatic center. Haderlie isn’t concerned, though. He said the Hanna rec center doesn’t offer the same amenities as his proposed complex. He said he doesn’t know of anyone who chooses to use Hanna’s facilities over those offered in other cities.
Employment is the biggest challenge identified by the recreation consulting firm, Ballard King. Payroll will make up the bulk of the complex’s operational costs. Staffing shortages are rampant, not just in the Valley, but across the country. Finding the necessary number of trained people to run the facility year-round will be a challenge.
Haderlie said he is confident the aquatic center will help attract people to the town, increasing the pool of potential employees. The attorney added that he plans to offer everyone working for the facility lifeguard training.
Haderlie admitted his proposed plan is ambitious. He said he believes area residents want a facility like this. When asked what would happen if his plan were denied, the attorney said he wouldn’t stop trying.
Haderlie said he doesn’t have a Plan B. He suggested, maybe, refurbishing the existing pool, but said he doesn’t see that as the best use of funds.
The attorney acknowledged all the specifics haven’t been hammered out yet. He said he just wants to do something beneficial for the community.
Haderlie appears confident in his ability to raise the private and public funds needed for the ambitious project. The Saratoga Town Council is set to weigh in on the matter during a future meeting.
All the plans and estimated costs for the Platte Valley Aquatic Center can be found online here.
