By Sara Wiercinski
KC Parks and Recreation hosted an open house at HJ’s Community Center on August 20 for the public to view and vote on initial design concepts for Arbor Villa Pool. The engagement process is part of the Aquatics Master Plan which will guide water recreation strategy for the city.
The one-foot wading pool at Arbor Villa Park (1 E 66th Terrace) has been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The fill-and-drain style no longer meets health code regulations.
According to the Master Plan report, opening as a circulating wading pool would require hiring a lifeguard, charging admission fees and installing fencing and restrooms. The pool would operate Memorial Day to early August, open noon to 7 pm daily. Annual operations costs are estimated at $25,000 to $35,000.
A second option, converting the pool to a sprayground, would be less expensive to operate: an estimated $4,000 to $8,000 per year. Entry would be free, and the facilities would operate without lifeguards which extends the season through Labor Day with longer hours of 11 am to 7 pm.
Kansas City Parks and Recreation partnered with Waters Edge Aquatics to conduct research for the city’s Aquatics Master Plan. Project Manager Brian Hill says the first Arbor Villa concepts are not exact plans, more of a jumping off point. “We are excited for this phase, working with the community to dream up what is best for this site,” said Hill.
Members of the public were encouraged to complete a paper survey which is also available online at surveymonkey.com/r/Arborvilla to Kansas City residents through September 3.
Sixth district Council Member Johnathan Duncan acknowledged the importance of the small park as a community gathering place. “There’s a lot of public fondness for Arbor Villa,” said Duncan. “Many people remember taking their children or grandchildren swimming at this spot.” Duncan said the city council is excited to see more spaces reopen in the city for people to enjoy.
Olive, an eight-year-old child who swam at the pool before it closed, attended the event with her parents and younger brother. “I love swimming, and I also love splashing in the water,” said Olive, who attends a monthly play meetup with her Academie Lafayette classmates at Arbor Villa Park. Olive said she was excited about both concepts, while her mother added that a sprayground could be more accessible and therefore used by more people.
Michael Fitzner and his wife live across the street from the park. “There are people from all over who drive here and use the park. We love it, we love the vitality. It’s a community thing.” Fitzner is in favor of a sprayground, which he hopes will fit within the character of the park and preserve the large trees.
Neighbor Amanda Williams said her children are not that interested in spraygrounds, so would lean toward a pool. More than anything, Williams would like to see restrooms with a place for children to wash their hands when they get messy. “Sometimes I even drive over to Prairie Village for their parks with nice restrooms.”
Nancy Heugh and Tom Edmondson live near the park, and also attended the meeting. Both prefer the sprayground which they explained fits better in a pocket-sized park. “If it’s hot enough, I may even get in and play in the water jets. Sounds fun!” said Heugh.
Once feedback is measured, Waters Edge Aquatics will refine concepts and present at a second open house on September 17 at HJ’s Community Center in Brookside. Final plans will be submitted to the KC Parks and Recreation Director and Board of Commissioners, and finally, City Council.
If all goes to schedule, the Arbor Villa water feature, in its new form, would open in summer 2026. The project will be financed through General Obligation Bonds specifically designated for park improvements.
Stay tuned for Swope
Swope Park Pool (6700 Lewis Road) is the oldest outdoor pool in Kansas City, opened in 1942 as a Works Projects Administration effort. Public input from the Aquatics Master Plan showed strong support in reopening the 18,000 square-foot deco-style pool, which closed during the pandemic and has not reopened due to cost-prohibitive maintenance issues. KC Parks is currently conducting research on the site, and will soon follow a public engagement process similar to the Arbor Villa site.
Project managers say meetings for Swope Park Pool will begin within a few months.
A larger context
KC Parks has a total of 27 aquatic facilities: 10 outdoor pools (four are not in operation), 3 indoor pools and 14 spraygrounds. The Aquatics Master Plan includes an audit of aquatics facilities within KC Parks jurisdiction. The report found the fewest opportunities for water recreation, as well as the least amount of facilities space, (as measured in water square footage), in Districts 2 and 6, despite relative even population with other districts.
Within District 6 are two spraygrounds at Loose and Sunnyside Parks, plus the Arbor Villa Pool (not in operation).
City Council District 5 is home to The Bay Water Park, the indoor pool at Southeast Community Center (which opened June 2024) and Swope Park Pool (not in operation). Master plan survey participants ranked The Bay Water Park (7101 Longview Road) highest in satisfaction among all of the city’s outdoor pools.
For more information about the KC Parks Aquatics Master Plan, visit kcparks.org.