Irvine City Council moves Orange County Great Park aquatics complex into near-future plans
The local aquatics community earned a major victory Tuesday, as the Orange County Great Park Board voted to fast-track a $90-million aquatics complex in the Irvine park for both USA Water Polo and community water polo and swimming use.
The board, which is made up entirely of Irvine City Council members, voted 3-2 to make the aquatics facility a priority in the first phase of the Great Park framework plan. Coming into the meeting, the complex was a part of the second phase, at least five years down the road.
But after Tuesday’s split vote, the USA Water Polo men’s and women’s national teams should have a training center on the west side of the Great Park locked in prior to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Councilman Mike Carroll and Mayor Farrah Khan voted yes. Vice Mayor Tammy Kim and Councilwoman Kathleen Treseder voted no, indicating that they wanted to move forward with previously planned projects and seemed less excited about USA Water Polo being so involved with the new aquatics center.
Councilman Larry Agran — who was the lone “no” vote when the previous council voted in favor of the aquatics center last September — ended up being the swing vote Tuesday. He voted in favor, despite also expressing some reservations.
“We’re just delighted that the city is going through a thorough process,” said USA Water Polo chief executive Chris Ramsey, himself an Irvine resident. “Process after process, they continue to validate how important the center is for the community and the city. We’re delighted to be part of it.”
Dozens of local USA Water Polo and swimming representatives, including Ramsey, spoke at Tuesday’s meeting. Four-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Jason Lezak, an Irvine native, spoke in favor of the complex, as did U.S. women’s national team coach Adam Krikorian, who has won three straight Olympic gold medals with Team USA.
Many speakers said adding new pools should be a priority in the city. Woollett Aquatics Center, the two-pool complex adjacent to Irvine High built in 1978 that hosts the CIF Southern Section water polo championships, is constantly full. One speaker noted that the population of Irvine was about 50,000 at the time Woollett was built. Today, the population is more than 300,000, yet no public pools have been added.
Children need a space where they can learn where to swim, proponents added, noting that drowning is consistently the No. 1 cause of death for young children under 5 years old in Orange County. Those who have supported the project in recent years are hoping for a three-pool complex, though the design has not been finalized.
Lezak said he learned to swim at Woollett at age 5, and saw the complex become more and more impacted over the years.
“We’re drawing events not just around the country, but now international,” Lezak said. “I think this pool needs to be built not only for water polo. I was a high school All-American water polo player and I love it, but this is needed for everybody. ‘Regular Joes’ need a place to go swim and not have to wait for a lane.”
Johnny Hooper, a member of the USA Water Polo men’s national team, called into the meeting with his teammates from a tournament in Croatia.
“We are not here for the money, we are here to inspire,” Hooper said. “There are kids who look up to us, and this facility will allow us to connect with your community on a personal level. Engaging with local clubs, teams, schools and families is at the forefront of our mission.”
The aquatics center was part of the post-2028 second phase of the Great Park, Irvine assistant city manager Pete Carmichael said in a presentation, partially because last September’s agreement significantly limited city access to the pool for public use. But USA Water Polo has already ponied up $12 million to cover the cost of its 10,000 square feet of exclusive use areas, like national team locker rooms.
Overall, per the agreement, USA Water Polo will be able to use the facility up to 30% of the time.
How Irvine will fit the complex into its plans is a different question. City Manager Oliver Chi said the city has just $720 million earmarked for Phase One costs, and it can’t just add the $90 million aquatics facility there without taking away other projects.
Carroll’s passed motion included a list of projects that couldn’t be taken out of Phase One, including a 14,000-seat amphitheater and a botanical garden.
“The struggle I’m having is there’s only $720 million and the guardrails you’ve provided don’t provide enough flexibility,” Chi said.
Carroll quickly responded.
“The struggle I have is I got 300 emails, and a lot of residents out here that wanted a water polo facility that was voted on three times,” he said.
City staff will come back April 11 with options for fitting the aquatic center into the first phase.
Tuesday’s vote pleased Vivienne Follman-Otta of Villa Park, the lone child to speak during public comments. Vivienne, 12, plays goalkeeper for SOCAL Water Polo Club and credits water polo for helping her make friends as she has dealt with depression.
Krikorian came to chat with Vivienne after the meeting, and posed for a picture with her. Vivienne, a seventh-grader at El Rancho Charter School, said her goal is to make the Olympics one day and attend Stanford University.
“Two years ago I was in the hospital for a suicide attempt,” she said during public comments. “Water polo is how I got myself out of that mess ... I hope this [complex] makes the difference in the life of another 12-year-old soon.”
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