Oregon City's 60-year-old swimming pool has won a statewide award for how well the city has kept it running.

The Oregon Recreation and Parks Association (ORPA) presented the city with its Outstanding Maintenance and Asset Management Award at the association's annual conference in Seaside, which ran Tuesday, Sept. 22, through Thursday, Sept. 24. The award recognizes more than 20 years of ongoing maintenance, planning and investment at the pool, according to a city announcement.

The pool's six lanes, diving board, outdoor wading pool and multi-purpose room draw roughly 99,000 visits a year for lap swimming, lessons, exercise and competitive swimming.

Two decades of fixes

The list of improvements is long: roof updates, boiler and pump replacements, concrete deck repairs, accessibility upgrades, locker room renovations, window replacements and, most recently, major replastering and gutter tile work. The city said the sustained spending has left the pool in better condition than it was 20 years ago.

Oregon City Parks and Recreation credited the work to past and present maintenance staff, city leaders and community partners. Scott Archer leads the department as parks and recreation director.

The recognition also explains a question the city says it hears often. As officials begin planning a replacement facility, residents ask why the pool needs replacing at all. The city called that question itself proof that the maintenance program worked.

What comes next

Oregon City is in the early stages of planning a new Aquatic and Recreation Center, according to the city's planning page. No construction start date has been set, and no funding has been identified. The city held a public open house June 23 to gather input.

The 2023 Parks and Recreation Master Plan identified a new aquatics center as a top community priority. Conceptual options include a small facility of roughly 21,500 square feet on the current site, a medium option of about 36,000 square feet and a large center of about 65,300 square feet that would require a new location. The existing site cannot accommodate additional parking or outdoor features being explored, according to city planning materials.

Future funding could come from grants, bonds, fees or partnerships. The current pool remains safe and open.

ORPA published a video honoring the Oregon City pool on Tuesday, Sept. 22, the conference's opening day.

Upcoming in the community

• Oct. 3 — Lake Oswego Hunt Club hosts its Gallop & Give fundraiser.
• Saturdays through October — Lake Oswego Farmers' Market wraps up its 25th season.