BY DEBORAH SUMMA
White Rock
Dear Councilors and Board Members:
In response to a recent LTE by James Wernicke regarding Pinon Park Pool (https://losalamosreporter.com/2026/09/15/lte-aquatic-center-closure-outdoor-swimming/):
I’ve been swimming at the Walkup Center for over 30 years. Now I swim laps almost every day at the Pinon Park Pool, and have done so since the County opened it at the beginning of the summer. In my opinion the leasing, (minimal) renovation and opening of this facility is *by far* the best thing LA County Parks and Rec has invested in in a very long time. An outdoor pool that is accessible to the general public without an expensive annual membership fee is fantastic in the late spring/summer/early fall months. For the price of daily admission, anyone can enjoy Pinon Park Pool, where the water is clean and clear, the temperature is refreshing and perfect both for exercise and summer play, and there are enough lanes and free space open for a sufficient period of time daily to accommodate diverse schedules of many different users. This facility brings sorely needed recreational opportunities to White Rock, a community that has historically been neglected in this regard. My fervent hope—and I have heard this expressed by many daily users— is that the County will acquire this property outright and create a permanent seasonal outdoor pool and perhaps develop a year-round park/playground on the property.
If Mr. Wernicke’s allegations are true, one can understand his frustration. We don’t know all the details, but at a minimum the County and any potential partners should negotiate in good faith and certainly the East Park Pool should be appropriately compensated for any services rendered. However, it is disingenuous to claim that East Park Pool is a “community pool” somehow deserving of top priority for County investment and Pinon Park Pool is “private” and therefore not worthy of County consideration. East Park Pool, like Barranca Pool, Canyon Vista Pool, and previously the Golf Course Pool and Pinon Park Pool before they went out of business, is a privately owned membership-only enterprise that is not open to the general public. Whether the “owner” is a coalition of like-minded residents voluntarily pooling their resources for their own enjoyment or a single individual or corporation is immaterial; private is still private. These membership-only community pools are wonderful options for many individuals and families. They are attractive because their primary obligation is to accommodate the needs and desires of their private member-owners; that’s exactly why people choose to join them. Any additional uses are necessarily secondary and only to the extent that such activity does not impact existing members.
The County’s primary obligation is to serve the general public, in this case the greater local aquatic community— lap swimmers, recreational users, swim teams, swim lessons, water exercise classes, therapy users, etc. These users have been locked out of most county aquatic services since the Walkup Center closed for repairs. Leasing Pinon Park Pool allows the County to provide as many pool hours as possible for general aquatic users without interfering with or infringing upon the rights of the member-owners at private pools such as East Park. Performing repairs and renovations to bring a leased facility up to the end-user’s operational standards is common throughout the commercial real estate industry; the County’s investing in upgrading essential operating equipment (i.e., the boiler) at Pinon Park Pool is no different.
If in fact the Walkup Aquatic Center renovation is behind schedule, as often happens with construction projects, the County should be forthcoming with that information and update the public regarding the cause(s) and provide an honest assessment as to when the facility will actually reopen. In the meantime, if a protracted delay is expected then the County should pursue reasonable options to ensure the many aquatic users have a local venue at which to exercise/practice/do therapy/etc. uninterrupted. That might mean ensuring the boiler capacity at Pinon Park Pool is adequate to heat the pool as the weather turns cooler or, if that option is unfeasible in the near-term, it may mean negotiating with one of the local private membership pools to lease their (heated) facility now that their regular seasons are over. One hopes the County will look to the long-term and that all parties involved will negotiate in good faith should this become necessary.
In closing, I want to reiterate that the Pinon Park Pool facility has been an absolutely fabulous alternative for the swimming community during the extended Walkup Center closure this summer. Congratulations to the Aquatic Director and his staff for their forward, innovative thinking and hard work in bringing this facility online quickly and economically to accommodate everyone wishing to swim laps and participate in other aquatic programs— excellent job, very well done! I strongly encourage the County to consider purchasing this property and creating a permanent seasonal outdoor pool. Meanwhile, Pinon Park Pool is still open for lap swimming on weekdays from 12 – 6pm through October 2nd. I swam there for an hour today (9/16), the water is great!
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