Overland Park leaders set to vote tonight on Playbook OP amid pool controversy

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. Share your story idea with Olivia.

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Overland Park city leaders are scheduled to vote Monday night on Playbook OP, the city's long-range plan for its parks and recreation system. The pool portion of the plan is drawing criticism from residents and at least one council member who say the proposal could have unfair consequences for some communities.

The city has already closed Bluejacket Pool. The current plan calls for Stonegate Pool to close as well, with money redirected toward a new regional pool in south Overland Park.

Ward 2 Council Member Drew Mitrisin worries this limits access to many residents.

KSHB

"In South Overland Park, as the newer neighborhoods have developed, there's been a lot of value placed in creating HOA pools," said Drew Mitrisin, OP council member. "In the north part of town that was built in the 50s and 60s and 70s, we've been closing our public neighborhood pools, and the access to pools, the access to learning how to swim, the access to those recreational opportunities has gone away.

Back in 2005, the city identified this to be true. I looked through old city plans and found that when the city was discussing a pool plan, officials identified that the majority of HOA pools were located south of 103rd Street. Then-council members said they recognized that walkable pools were in demand north of that street and directed money toward city pools in that area.

Mitrisin is questioning why the city is now moving in a different direction.

"We did community engagement to understand what taxpayers want. And when we asked them how to spend their money on aquatics, they were pretty clear that they wanted neighborhood pools, so it's frustrating for me personally that we are going against the community's request," Mitrisin said.

The pool closures could also affect organizations that rely on those facilities. Elizabeth Gonzales, co-director of Holy Cross Summer Camp, said the changes could threaten her program.

Fabian Rosales

"It would either mean the closure of our camp or pricing our summer camp out of the price range that many of our families could be able to afford," Gonzales said.

Mitrisin hopes the city will take residents preferences into account before the final vote. Council will vote in the committee of the whole meeting which begins at 6:15 Monday night.

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