Aquatics

Apr. 8, 2025
Held at Belle Haven Pool

The April 8 session focused on the value and importance of various programs offered at Belle Haven Pool, the lower-than-hoped attendance at Belle Haven Pool, and the fee increases to be proposed to City Council April 15. Participants offered the following feedback:

• Comments on the efficacy of survey methods and other forms of soliciting community feedback;
• Comments on the importance of youth swim lessons and teams to teach water safety and build generational interest and participation in swimming;
• Ideas for outreach and promoting attendance at Belle Haven Pool by the local community;
• Stories of how participants first heard about and became engaged in Belle Haven Pool programs;
• Discussion about the importance and value of swim lesson scholarships through nonprofits such as BBAF;
• Ideas for holding family swim events and other community swim events to attract new visitors to the pool;
• Suggestions to use technology such as text messages and phone calls to expand outreach;
• Suggestions that promotions emphasize that hyperlocal and swim lesson fees are relatively low and a good value, and in particular to present the swim lesson scholarships in a way that avoids creating any stigma or feeling of being socioeconomically “less than”;
• Compliments on the physical accessibility of Belle Haven Pool such as the long entry ramp and chair lifts;
• Suggestions for adjusting water exercise times to facilitate a smoother transition to other programs at Menlo Park Senior Center;
• Suggestion to work with local schools to make attendance at Menlo Park swim centers a requirement and/or credit in the school curriculum;
• Observation that Belle Haven Pool and Burgess Pool are different sizes and have different numbers of lanes so attendance comparisons are not exactly apples-to-apples;
• Observation that some Belle Haven neighborhood residents report that they continue to use Burgess Pool out of familiarity and force of habit;
• Comments that a new business can’t be expected to operate at 100% capacity right away;
• Discussion about the proposed fee increases, including appreciation that fees would not increase for hyperlocal, senior, child and family residents, but concern that increasing non-resident fees too much could drive a needed revenue source away to other pools in the region;
• Consensus that some modest fee increases are appropriate due to increasing costs;
• Acknowledgments that the pool operator needs to achieve a break-even financial condition in order to continue;
• Concern that Burgess Pool is already operating at near-maximum capacity and that high attendance there cannot fully offset low attendance at Belle Haven Pool;
• Concerns that reduced hours at Belle Haven Pool during the off-season could result in lower attendance overall and in the long term;
• Concern that mechanical issues at Belle Haven Pool disrupt efforts to increase attendance;
• Comments that local community members, community-based organizations and word-of-mouth will be essential to encourage strong usage of Belle Haven Pool in the upcoming summer peak season.

Feb. 4, 2025
Held at Belle Haven Pool

The Feb. 4 session focused on the same topics as the Jan. 13 session but was held at Belle Haven Pool. Participants offered feedback on the phrasing of survey questions; questions and discussion about the potential causes of the comparatively lower attendance at Belle Haven Pool relative to attendance at Burgess Pool, such as the geographical barrier presented by the US-101 freeway, past history of limited access to swim centers, mechanical issues during the new Belle Haven Pool’s opening summer, and seasonal fluctuations driven by weather patterns and school calendars; ideas for promoting the pool to community members through various channels like local schools and through door-to-door and word-of-mouth outreach; suggestions for building a community of year-round repeat swimmers through youth swim lessons, teams and exercise programs; consensus that some modest fee increases are appropriate due to increasing costs; and discussion about balancing competing demands for pool space in a way that ensures access and availability to hyperlocal residents.

Jan. 13, 2025 
Held at Burgess Pool 

The Jan. 13 session focused on the results of the November 2024 aquatics user survey, the 2024 aquatics annual report, and potential increases to some aquatic user fees. Participants offered feedback on the condition of the locker room at Burgess Pool; appreciation for maintenance fixes at Belle Haven Pool; concerns about the lower-than-hoped attendance at Belle Haven Pool; suggestion to work with local schools to make attending Menlo Park swim centers a curriculum credit and/or requirement; suggestion to hold swim meets at Belle Haven Pool to increase attendance; suggestion to work with local employers like Meta to encourage their workers to visit Belle Haven Pool for early morning and lunchtime programs like aqua aerobics; ideas for advertising and promoting the swim centers to attract more visitors; expanding a Masters swim program to Belle Haven Pool; consensus that some modest fee increases are appropriate due to increasing costs; appreciation for the hyperlocal resident rates and avoiding fee increases to hyperlocal, senior, child and family fees.

Aquatics open house – Belle Haven Pool 
Sept. 5, 2024 

Aquatics open house – Burgess Pool 
Sept. 26, 2024 

Aquatics focus group – Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) 
Oct. 9, 2024

80% of attendees said they learned how to swim at Burgess Pool 
2 attendees said they have worked for the pool Operator

Other questions and comments