Lenexa, KS – The Save Ad Astra Pool Coalition, an organization of Lenexa residents devoted to preserving and improving Ad Astra Pool, issued a statement asking the Lenexa City Council to reject the recommendation by Waters Edge to close Ad Astra Pool:
“The Aquatics Study recommending the closure of Ad Astra Pool is deeply flawed and ultimately produces a recommendation that does not even accurately reflect the underlying data. Some of the assertions are incomplete or lack context, and a proper analysis of the survey results point to a clear preference to keep Ad Astra.
For instance, they chose to ignore 60 pages of comments from residents, the vast majority of whom favor not only keeping Ad Astra but investing in it for the long-term by bringing back important basic amenities that were removed. It is perhaps not surprising that a firm who specializes in building water parks recommends closing traditional pools in favor of a large water park. However, their own study reveals what we already knew - our community pools are critical to the vitality of our neighborhoods, and the City Council should focus attention on preserving those neighborhoods for future generations by investing in amenities near and dear to them. Therefore, the recommendation to close Ad Astra should be rejected.”
The Coalition went on to encourage the City Council to fulfill its promise to work with the residents they represent:
“Unfortunately, the totality of dialogue we have had, when combined with the biased and flawed study, indicate that the recommendation to close Ad Astra was essentially a pre-determined outcome, and that the process of the past two years was about an attempt to placate residents, rather than actually listen or act on our behalf. In addition to rejecting the recommendation to close Ad Astra pool, we urge the City Council to fulfill its pledge to work with us – commissioning a biased and flawed study and then immediately voting to close the pool does not fulfill that promise.”
Finally, the Coalition stated it would press forward, regardless of the outcome of any vote on Tuesday.
“The City Council should not be under any illusions that we are going to back down. Votes can be reversed, elections will be held, and even recall petitions can be started. To be clear, ramming through a vote with limited notice is not a proper way of governing, and there are larger issues at play here than just one pool, as important as that it to us. It’s about listening, real transparency, and a commitment to doing what is best for Lenexa’s long-established neighborhoods. We’re not going away.”
The Lenexa City Council is scheduled to vote on the recommendation on Tuesday, June 15th at 7:00 p.m.
