WS city councilor quits over disagreement with direction of pool design

At the Feb. 17 council meeting, Gilchrist wrote, “you declared the subject of the pool design closed with enough emotion that you were literally spitting mad. I believe you have been hasty in this decision and I am writing to encourage you to re-think it. The design you have declared ‘frozen’ has severe shortcomings.”

Gilchrist gave an overview of the project from his perspective, and concluded Wellman Associates’ proposed designs for the pool to be sited in the northeast corner of the Whitson Elementary School car-park “exhibit a relentless formality and Midwestern sensibility.”

“This project is in the Columbia River Gorge, one of the most youthful, dynamic and envied locales in the country,” Gilchrist continued. “We should be looking beyond an unimaginative rubber stamped post-war spare vision of a swimming facility.”

He said the proposed designs lack the sense of isolation and privacy of the current pool, and do not take advantage of the site’s natural features.

“Why is everything on the same grade? The site slopes like most properties in the area and terracing can add interest and economy in development of a site,” Gilchrist wrote. “Also lacking are little corners and wall sheltered place that can be natural areas for families or small groups to retire to. Instead there is 12,000 square feet of featureless concrete...The big fir tree has been ignored when it could be incorporated to add share and interest.”

“My conclusion is that the most attractive features of the old pool are totally absent in the new design and ultimately the community is going to be disappointed with the result. The community motivation to meet operating expenses may well suffer.”

With his resignation letter, Gilchrist submitted a site plan he had prepared that takes these features into account “just to see if a pleasing solution could be developed.” (See image at right.)

“Costs are a major consideration in this donation and grant-funded project,” Gilchrist noted. “I do not believe there would be any significant cost difference between the designs. They are just different arrangements of the same elements of excavation, retaining walls, concrete aprons, buildings and mechanical plant.”

Gilchrist said that the grant deadlines of March 1 for a letter of intent and May 2 for a complete application should not prevent the council from exploring design alternatives.

“Given the background work and fact collecting already completed on the project it should be possible to document a new arrangement of the same elements within the allotted time,” Gilchrist said.

“This letter is a Hail Mary on my part,” he continued. “I will make it public to inform interested citizens of where the project is and what is at stake so they can make their opinions known directly to you [Poucher]. I bear no malice against any parties in this matter, I am simply voicing my conscience on what I believe to be a matter of considerable importance.”

In the final issue, Gilchrist told Poucher he was quitting the council because “I find this mode of working extremely stressful and not aligned to my aptitudes. There is scant chance any sort of working relationship between us can be salvaged.”

The Enterprise contacted Poucher by e-mail Tuesday for comment on Gilchrist’s resignation but did not receive a reply before press-time.