Alva Review-Courier -

The City of Alva Citizen's Advisory Committee for the Swimming Pool and Parks Projects has been working diligently over the past 19 months to raise funds through donations and numerous grant applications to build a swimming pool and outdoor recreation facility for the community and region. The committee spent many months visiting numerous water park facilities in Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas and after much research and analysis, the committee selected Kimley-Horn Architectural-Engineering firm to serve as the lead architect for the projects.

The committee contracted with Preservation Design of Oklahoma City to perform the National Register of Historic Places nomination work. In the fall of 2022, the Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) informed the city that the historic WPA Pool had been named to the National Register of Historic Places. This important step in the process will assist in securing grant funding to help fund the project's rehabilitation of the historic bath-house and shade structure, and the construction of a new pool. The State Historic Preservation Office will assist the committee and the architectural firm with appropriate plans and mitigation strategies which will recognize the historic nature of the facility, while also supporting a new pool that meets contemporary conservation, health, and safety requirements.

The City Council established the newly renamed Parks and Recreation Board to take the place of the former Alva Recreation Complex Board. As a result, all city parks, including the Alva Recreation Complex, and the pool are now managed by the Parks and Recreation staff and board. This streamlining will support more cohesive planning and decision making for the City's recreation facilities.

The committee has also recommended that Master Planning work commence for Hatfield Park. In collaboration with Friends of Play, the committee is moving forward with the planning that must be done for the park in order to begin applying for grant funds to support much needed upgrades to this outdoor recreation area. Alva is fortunate to have this natural environment set aside for recreational purposes. The Master Plan will enable the committee to eventually tie the park to the swimming pool complex through walking trails and improved lighting and playground areas. Public Input meetings will be held April 11 and 12 to provide opportunities for the public to share ideas and ask questions about the planning for Hatfield Park. More detailed information about the public input sessions will be publicized in the near future.

The swimming pool committee would like to encourage members of the community to support the Community Dinner on March 21 at 818 Diner; proceeds will be donated to the swimming pool committee to assist in supporting the pool project. This event is being held in memory of Dr. Troy Smith, who served many years as chairman of the Alva Parks and Recreation Board. The Changemakers Organization is planning this event.