Lynchburg’s $14.5 Million Pool Plan: A Splash Too Far?

Miller Park Pool in Lynchburg, Virginia

• What’s Happening: Lynchburg’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for FY2026-2030 proposes demolishing and rebuilding Miller Park Pool, with a total cost—principal and interest—pegged at over $14.5 million.

• The Pitch: City bureaucrats insist on a full $7.3 million rebuild, ignoring a councilmember’s query about cheaper fixes like repairing the leak and adding privacy fencing (unanswered in the 3/18/2025 budget response).

Design Rendering of Miller Park Pool Reimagination

Design Rendering of Miller Park Pool Reimagination

Design Rendering of Miller Park Pool Reimagination

Design Rendering of Miller Park Pool Reimagination

• Sunk Cost Push: Bureaucrats argue the project must proceed, citing $50,000 in prior appropriations—likely design costs—as justification (per FY2026-2030 CIP).

• Limited Use: Last year’s schedule—66 days total (June 1–9 weekends: 4 days; June 10–August 2 daily: 54 days; August 3–25 weekends: 8 days)—with 1-6 PM hours, equals 330 hours. That’s just 3.77% of the year’s 8,760 hours, likely making it the city’s most limited-use asset.

• Competing Needs: School infrastructure crumbles ($60 million proposed over five years), fire stations falter, and roads beg for repair—priorities dwarfing a seasonal splash pad.

Miller Park Pool in Lynchburg, VA

• The Question: Does $50,000 spent really justify $14.5 million more, when year-round essentials are on the line?

Lynchburg’s budget docs (3/11/2025 CIP presentation, FY2026-2030 plan) show a clear choice: fix what’s broken or dive into a costly luxury.