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Oakley Pool

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OAKLEY SWIMMING POOL

The original Oakley Pool work started in 1960 under the direction of the Oakley Chamber of Commerce.  Heavy equipment began excavation that year.  In 1961, the cement work was begun but not finished until 1962. The pool was first filled during the night of July 23, 1963 to be in operation for the Pioneer Day Celebration the next day.      

The original pool was 100 feet long and 40 feet wide and held about 196,000 gallons of water.  It had a gradual slope from two feet in the wading area to 10 feet in the diving area.  The swimming pool project back then cost approximately $55,000.  Labor and equipment were donated by local residents. To assist in the project during construction, three communtiy auctions were held, as well as the proceeds from the Bar-B-Q dinners held on the park for the 24th Pioneer Celebration.                                                  
 The pool was operational in 1964 and 1965, but in 1966 it was closed due to leaks. Needed repairs were made, along with buying a filter system and heating system in 1967 and 1968.  The City of Oakley helped the Chamber finance the repairs.  At the request of the Chamber, the City of Oakley officially took over the burden of the pool in April of 1977.  An effort was made in 1978-79 to form a recreation district, and a petition was filled, but there was great opposition from area farmers, and the effort was dropped.

 In 1984 Randy and Karlene Hardy were asked by the city council to once again take the necessary steps to form a Recreation District as they could no longer support the pool, and were faced with abondoning it. With the cooperation of the State agencies, the proper paperwork was prepared and groundwork laid for a Recreation District Election in November of 1985.  The vote was favorable, passing 137 to 34.  The Oakley Recreation District was formed. The City of Oakley then sold the swimming pool and the grounds to the Oakley Recreation District for the sum of $1.00.
   
The first Oakley Recreation District board meeting was held in April 1986, and an assessment of repairs needed was made. Because of the great need for repairs and equipment replacement, their focus was set on bringing the pool up to code and repairing the shell.

After many years of temporary repairs to the aging pool, the community was given the option to increase the existing tax levy so that a more permanent solution would be available. On November 6, 2018, the Oakley community overwhelmingly voted 368 in favor and only 127 opposed, a 74.34% approval rate when only a 66.7% super majority was required for the request to pass. The additional funds from this tax levy increase allowed for the potential planning and construction of a new swimming pool.

Under the leadership of the Oakley Recreation District Board of Directors, Ben Nelson, Bryce Jones, and Roxanne Beck, as well as Al Lowe serving as the project manager, the original Oakley Pool was demolished in the fall of 2019 to make way for a new swimming pool. The pool alone was estimated to cost $612,000, with significant donations of time and equipment from community members to help keep the costs as manageable as possible.

The new pool was designed as a salt water pool with two bodies of water. The main body of water would be a 46’ x 75’ pool sloping from 3.5’ to 10’. The second body of water was to be a 20’ x 46’ wading pool, with a beach entrance extending to a depth of 24”. The main pool was designed with six lanes for regulated lap swim and swim meets, as well as also having a water slide, a diving board, and a basketball hoop. The separate, shallow body of water was exclusively designed for younger children.

The pool was completed in the summer of 2020 and has provided much appreciated enjoyment for the entire community and beyond. It has even hosted numerous swim meets, attracting swimmers from all over the State of Idaho.