Here’s the good news: With the help of community leaders, charitable organizations, and federal grants, San Mateans rallied together — over a two-year period — to save the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and pool earlier this year. While this is a big win for our city, there is still more work to do to ensure all neighborhoods enjoy equal access to well-maintained public parks and pools.
In particular, the Joinville Aquatic Center in Shoreview needs urgent attention. This civic treasure, which used to host swim lessons and several swim teams, was shut down indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic and its doors remained fully closed for three full years. Today, the center is open for only four hours a day for two months a year during the height of summer but, overall, the facility is on its last legs.
Currently, the Joinville Aquatic Center needs up to $10 million in investment to resurface its 60-year old deck, make required ADA improvements, and upgrade plumbing and filtration systems to meet new California state standards. Importantly, none of these maintenance efforts can be made in isolation. Resurfacing the pool deck triggers mandates to make other fixes and vice versa. We’ve reached a pivotal moment where inaction puts Joinville at risk of permanent closure or a massive spiraling of maintenance costs. The time to act is now.
Like the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, San Mateans need to rally together once again to save an invaluable neighborhood asset. However, this time around, we need to think bigger and broader to meet our goals. Raising up to $10 million in funds will require an all hands on deck approach. We need the city of San Mateo to step up with funds and a long-term maintenance plan, local residents to call for action and express their dissatisfaction, and local charitable organizations and businesses to pitch in.
Importantly, this is a moment for someone to light a spark. Imagine what a handful of significant donations from major local employers like Fisher Investments, Franklin Templeton, GoPro, Guidewire Software, Medallia, PlayStation, Rakuten, Roblox, Snowflake Computing, Sutter Health, Verkada and others could do to jump-start a campaign to reopen the Joinville Aquatic Center full time.
These companies opened up shop in San Mateo because of our world class talent and beautiful city features, and it would be an amazing gesture if they helped us keep things that way. Of course, businesses alone should not foot the bill, but they have the power to move the needle in a material way and invigorate others to join in.
Overall, saving the Joinville Aquatic Center won’t be an easy task and it will take time; but I, along with a growing number of community members, are committed to making it happen and we will leave no stone unturned to ensure local children have a safe and amazing pool nearby.
Danielle Cwirko-Godycki is president of the Shoreview Parkside Neighborhood Association, and founder of Flood Free San Mateo Coalition.
Joinville pool was a staple for kids - swim lessons, SMAC, lazy afternoon, volunteering at the snack bar, birthday parties...it really must be saved. I am ready to join the fight. Swim lessons are critical for our youth, and this is a equity wellbeing issue.
Danielle, thanks for bringing attention to this. I agree the pool is a cherished resource that could be providing so much good during these hot days of summer. What I’m astounded at is the amount of city structures all over the city that are in disrepair like Joinville and the massive dollar amounts estimated to fix them. We were at the same community meeting where our Public Works Director gave the laundry list of top priorities and their price tags. Even our newish and beloved library on 3rd Ave needs millions in repairs. It’s staggering. I think there’s a real need to dig deep into who is doing work for the city for obscene amounts of money and then finding shoddy work a few years later. As for Joinville, it would be good to understand how a community as rich as San Mateo doesn’t have the funds to maintain this key city asset and why it has let it go into such disrepair. I have to believe San Mateo has significant funds coming in but that they have been misused over the years. Your oversight of this when you join Council will be invaluable, and I thank you in advance.
Danielle - just call it a meeting place for the homeless and money will be pouring in. Nothing is expensive enough for our County executives as long as it is for yet to be identified homeless population. Priorities??
JustMike, you have demonstrated again that lefties have no sense of humor. My reply was "tongue in cheek" but you probably have never heard that expression from the Rachel Maddow crowd. Your standard answer is the usual, no thinking outside the box is allowed.
- Isn't it interesting that cities have a hard time to keep and maintain their public swimming pools?
- Isn't it also interesting that institutions of education claim to have no money to keep and pay their teachers?
- and yet all these high schools and colleges seem to be able to afford these nice pools,
"wellness centers", athletic fields and high security fences to keep the public out.
The public pays for both type of pools, but a public pool by the city can be used by all and the pool at the schools by almost no one.
How about these rich school districts hand over facilities money to the city, so the city can run a public pool year-round and the school's swim and polo team can use them the few hours a week they really need it.
Easygerd - my wife enjoys swimming and pays $6 per day to use the pool at Carlmont for an hour during the summer break. According to my tax statement, we pay $130 per year extra for a Sequoia HS bond and then of course we pay through the nose for property taxes that also finance this school. As tax paying residents, we should have gratis access to this pool when not in use by the students. I understand that part of this daily fee goes toward paying the life guards and coaches that are temp city employees. You nailed it, the HS district should pay the City for these student summer jobs.
I literally spend every single day of summer vacation there from 1996-1980. I had my first kiss there and had the best time every day. Count me in on a donation.
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(9) comments
Congratulations. I know you will be a tremendous asset to our city.
Joinville pool was a staple for kids - swim lessons, SMAC, lazy afternoon, volunteering at the snack bar, birthday parties...it really must be saved. I am ready to join the fight. Swim lessons are critical for our youth, and this is a equity wellbeing issue.
Danielle, thanks for bringing attention to this. I agree the pool is a cherished resource that could be providing so much good during these hot days of summer. What I’m astounded at is the amount of city structures all over the city that are in disrepair like Joinville and the massive dollar amounts estimated to fix them. We were at the same community meeting where our Public Works Director gave the laundry list of top priorities and their price tags. Even our newish and beloved library on 3rd Ave needs millions in repairs. It’s staggering. I think there’s a real need to dig deep into who is doing work for the city for obscene amounts of money and then finding shoddy work a few years later. As for Joinville, it would be good to understand how a community as rich as San Mateo doesn’t have the funds to maintain this key city asset and why it has let it go into such disrepair. I have to believe San Mateo has significant funds coming in but that they have been misused over the years. Your oversight of this when you join Council will be invaluable, and I thank you in advance.
Danielle - just call it a meeting place for the homeless and money will be pouring in. Nothing is expensive enough for our County executives as long as it is for yet to be identified homeless population. Priorities??
There should be SMDJ awards for the most repugnant reply(s) by local regulars here who seemingly can't wait to disparage another persons thoughts.
DVU should invite some homeless over to his palatial mansion and let them frolic in his back yard swimming pool.
Good job Danielle!!!
JustMike, you have demonstrated again that lefties have no sense of humor. My reply was "tongue in cheek" but you probably have never heard that expression from the Rachel Maddow crowd. Your standard answer is the usual, no thinking outside the box is allowed.
- Isn't it interesting that cities have a hard time to keep and maintain their public swimming pools?
- Isn't it also interesting that institutions of education claim to have no money to keep and pay their teachers?
- and yet all these high schools and colleges seem to be able to afford these nice pools,
"wellness centers", athletic fields and high security fences to keep the public out.
The public pays for both type of pools, but a public pool by the city can be used by all and the pool at the schools by almost no one.
How about these rich school districts hand over facilities money to the city, so the city can run a public pool year-round and the school's swim and polo team can use them the few hours a week they really need it.
Easygerd - my wife enjoys swimming and pays $6 per day to use the pool at Carlmont for an hour during the summer break. According to my tax statement, we pay $130 per year extra for a Sequoia HS bond and then of course we pay through the nose for property taxes that also finance this school. As tax paying residents, we should have gratis access to this pool when not in use by the students. I understand that part of this daily fee goes toward paying the life guards and coaches that are temp city employees. You nailed it, the HS district should pay the City for these student summer jobs.
I literally spend every single day of summer vacation there from 1996-1980. I had my first kiss there and had the best time every day. Count me in on a donation.
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