Will Lower Make Splash For Aquatic Center?

VILLAS – Lower Township officials have a vision for residents, from infants to seniors that features “community water play” as its guiding principle.
That vision was presented to residents at a recent council meeting by LAN Associates, an engineering and planning firm that the municipality hired to look into the feasibility of building and operating a comprehensive aquatic center at the Cape May County Airport. The project is projected to cost $14.3 million.
LAN Associates Vice President Kim Vierheilig led a team of consultants who researched and created a plan for the proposed center.
It would include a six-lane competition pool for youth sports and adult lap swimming, plus a separate “lifestyle” pool for adult and senior aqua therapy including resistance walking and other therapeutic activities. 
The lifestyle pool would also accommodate infants and toddlers where the parents could interact safely, in water temperatures that would be comfortable for all. 
A third section will offer a water slide and other aquatic entertainment features for children.
The center would contain locker rooms, community meeting rooms, and offices.
LAN presenters noted that this type of center would offer both physical development opportunities for residents of all ages and social/emotional development opportunities that would especially help young children and teenagers learn how to interact with others in a fun venue.
The plan is for the center to be located near Breakwater Road so that visitors could see the facility from the road. 
“We propose that the center be open 51 weeks a year, from very early in the morning, until about 10 p.m., seven days a week,” they stated.
The idea was to present as many opportunities to engage in the center’s amenities as possible for working people, students, and families.
The consultants admitted that centers of this type are expensive to operate and that they expect the center to operate at a deficit. Township Administrator James Ridgway noted that the township envisions entering into shared services agreements with surrounding communities, and a possible partnership with Middle Township as ways to offset the initial and operational costs of the project if it is approved by the council.
He added that the township would also be seeking a county Open Space grant to help defray initial costs. A fee structure for the use of the center will probably create a two-tiered system for residents and non-residents, but anyone will be able to use the center in some capacity.
Several residents stood to support the plan for the aquatic center; Tom Cook, executive director of the Delaware River and Bay Authority, operator of the airport stated, “If Lower Township decides to go down this path with the aquatic center, you have the DRBA’s support and our commitment to make this a success.”
To contact Jim McCarty, email jmccarty@cmcherald.com.