Palmetto moves forward with new plans for public pool. Here’s what they include

The city of Palmetto is moving forward with new plans for a long-awaited public swimming facility.

The pool is to be built at Lincoln Park and will include a competition-sized pool, a children’s pool and other amenities.

The pool has been in development for years. Most recently it was delayed as the city went back and forth with Manatee County officials on proposed designs.

Out of two similar designs offered by planning and design consultants Kimley-Horn in September, Manatee County officials preferred the first design while Palmetto city commissioners preferred the second.

City commissioners’ concerns included security and ample shade.

The designers have now created a modified version of the first design that includes some of the features desired by city commissioners — like the option for shaded spectator seating alongside the pool.

The design for the facility includes a six-lane lap pool, a zero-entry pool, shade structures, a bath house, locker room and a kitchen.

Other optional features are a lesson and plunge pool, a waterslide, a shade structure with lounge seating, a shade structure with spectator seating, and an additional parking area. The optional features are not included in the initial cost of the project, but they can be added if funds allow or at a future date.

The Community Redevelopment Agency Board, which is comprised of the five Palmetto city commissioners, voted unanimously to fund a portion of the project during a meeting on Monday night.

Under the proposed agreement, the Palmetto CRA will pay 28% of the cost of the project up to $1.5 million over 10 years.

The city commission later voted to contribute the approximately 4 acres of land that the pool will be located on to Manatee County. In return, Palmetto anticipates that payments made to Manatee County for the project over the 10-year-period will be free of interest.

Manatee County will finance the rest of the project, which is estimated to cost around $5 million.

Currently, the county operates three public pools, all of them located in Bradenton.

The new Lincoln Park pool could be completed as soon as May 2021, according to plans provided by Kimley-Horn.

The city of Palmetto and Manatee County’s attorneys will now work to draft agreements on the project before it enters the next phase.

This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 6:00 AM.