Jan. 24 — Task force continues center talks

Roxanne Cooke / of the Herald

More than a dozen Sumner residents and city officials met for the Sumner Community Task Force meeting last weekend to further discuss ideas on what a gathering place would look like in Sumner and the surrounding community.

The meeting was the third the group has hosted to discuss options for a community center. Its initial brainstorming session took place in September and the second meeting was in October.

Hot topics for this meeting included partnering with a local YMCA or Boys and Girls Club, whether to build the center in Sumner or Bonney Lake and what amenities are most important — including the possibility of a pool.

Members of the group began the meeting by reporting on their recent field trips to the Lakewood Boys and Girls Club and the Gig Harbor YMCA.

Councilmember Steve Allsop was impressed with the Boys and Girls Club’s ability to collaborate with other groups, he said, but the facility didn’t appeal to him. The YMCA, on the other hand, was remarkable on all counts.

“It was all very exciting to me,” Allsop said.

Mary Dearing, co-chair of the Sumner Arts Commission, said her initial reaction was that the Boys and Girls Club was better oriented toward teenagers, but that the YMCA looked more comfortable as a drop-in place for families.

Councilwoman and former Arts Commission Chair Cindi Hochstatter said the YMCA seemed more interested in partnering with Sumner.

“In my mind it would be a combination,” said Arts Commission member Jan Sanford.

The task force also discussed where their center should be, with two options bouncing back and forth — whether to build in Sumner or Bonney Lake. Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow said Bonney Lake would be interested in a partnership. But, he added, Sumner residents may not be as willing to go if it isn’t in walking distance.

Also in attendance at the meeting were Bruce Atwood and Greg Gustafson with the South Sound Titans, a private swim club that uses the Sumner Pool. The team’s board wants to partner with the Community Center Task Force in the hopes of securing a bigger and better pool for the team.

“As a club, we’d be instant tenants,” Atwood said.

It’s not just recreational; it’s also a safety issue, said former Sumner mayor Barbara Skinner. With so many bodies of water in the area, teaching children to swim should be a necessity.

“It is a sought-after part of our community,” Allsop agreed.

UPCOMING MEETING

-Feb. 16: Meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Sumner City Hall Council Chambers, located at 1104 Maple St.