A council committee voted 6-0 today to ask county Executive John Ladenburg to study financing options for the renovation and report back within 12 months.

The move means design work for the renovation will continue. But tough funding decisions will be postponed. In fact, Ladenburg won’t be around for that part since his term expires at the end of this year.

County Parks and Recreation Director Kathy Kravit-Smith told the council on Monday that the 32-year-old recreation center is in poor condition. Humidity from the indoor ice rink is rusting the roof, while pipes beneath the floor are leaking.

The center also doesn’t meet building codes and is not accessible to those with physical disabilities.

Kravit-Smith said Sprinker is “in desperate need of renovating.” Several local residents who use the recreation center echoed her comments. They said Sprinker is an important county resource.

“If I want to swim, I can find a place to swim. If I want to skate, Sprinker is it,” said Fircrest resident Mona Everett.

The parks department has recommended a $28 million renovation. It also has offered a smaller $21 million plan.

Both plans would include replacing the roof and bringing the building up to code. They also would expand seating, add four locker rooms for hockey and buy removable flooring to cover the ice for other activities.

The more expensive plan also would renovate the second floor, relocate administrative offices and add space for recreation programs.

However, repaying the debt on the larger plan would cost an estimated $2.2 million annually – leaving almost nothing to develop other county parks.

Councilwoman Barbara Gelman, a Tacoma Democrat whose district includes Sprinker, had proposed a resolution expressing the council’s intent to borrow up to $28 million for the more ambitious renovation.

But Councilman Shawn Bunney, R-Lake Tapps, said the county has never spent $28 million on a single parks project. And he noted the council plans to discuss parks spending priorities later this year.

“We want to have a larger conversation about how the rest of our parks fit together,” Bunney said.

Gelman offered an amendment asking Ladenburg to study funding options – including sales and property taxes – and report back within a year. The amendment passed unanimously. Today’s vote came in a Committee of the Whole meeting. Final council action on the proposal is scheduled for May 20.

David Wickert: 253-274-7341

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