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Stockton Residents Still Hoping For Pool At Victory Park

STOCKTON (CBS13) - Almost a decade after a popular community swimming pool in south Stockton closed, neighbors are still pushing to have it reopen.

But city leaders may have other plans for the site.

When the temperature reaches over 100 degrees families living in south Stockton visit Victory Park. It has picnic tables, BBQ pits and plenty of trees to cool off. The only thing missing is a swimming pool.

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"A lot of people are out here struggling, you know, doing bad. So, it's always good to have something the children can go to," said Ulysses Thomas, who lives nearby.

Neighbors have been pushing city leaders to re-open the site since 2011 when it was forced to close. They hope Measure M, a recently approved quarter-cent sales tax, can be used to fix the pool.

"Really, shoot. Open the pool up man, even if they straighten the levy up or whatever, clean it out or something like that," he said.

The pool was built in 1947. It never had a remodel and city leaders say it will probably never have one because it's too old and very shallow.

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"It's a 22-acre park and has the museum and several other amenities so, I think part of the concern is...we'd have to do something bigger. And if we did, would it match the scale of the park," said John Alita, community services director for the YMCA.

There is a possibility of replacing the pool with some other type of water feature down the road after improvements on McKinley, another popular park take place. In the meantime, families can enjoy five other open pool sites through the YMCA. Some as cheap as one dollar per visit.

"You know, it gives the families a place to go, it gives the kids a challenging environment. Being in the water is just fantastic for them. Obviously, they do learn how to swim and it's a chance for the family to be out," said YMCA aquatic director, Tom Downer.

City leaders say Victory Park is on the top list of priorities. There are other projects ahead of it so, the earliest people would see any type of repairs would be in two years.

The nearest community swimming pool from Victory Park is located at Oak Park, three miles away.

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