Expansion issues may seal deal on pool closure

PHOTO BY ADAM STEWART | STANWOOD/CAMANO NEWS Team Fitness owner Mike Liberato told a gym full of concerned citizens on Tuesday that he’s caught in the middle of a bad situation.

Liberato, who also runs Team Fitness locations in Snohomish and Lake Stevens, brought his business to Stanwood 16 months ago as a favor to landlord, Brett Olson, he said.

“I knew I’d undergo a challenge,” said Liberato.

That challenge has been compounded by the closure of Team Fitness’s downtown location in January and the recent pool closure at the uptown location.

The downtown facility was closed due to financial reasons, said Liberato.

It appears the financial woes have followed.

The goal is to provide the area with a great community center, he said.

However, Team Fitness is a private business in a privately-owned building; it’s a business driven by the bottom line.

According to Liberato, the only way for the club to survive on paper is to generate additional revenue through new membership by expanding the facility.

Any money sunk into fixing the pool wouldn’t solve current space limitations, forcing the club to continue running in the red.

Regardless of the impact on local swim teams and user groups, money isn’t available to make all the necessary repairs to the pool area and its equipment, as well as remodel the club.

“The landlord doesn’t have enough money to make it happen,” said Liberato.

Liberato’s business doesn’t bring in enough money at the Stanwood location to cover rent payments to Olson. He said his hands are tied when it comes to facility upgrades and preventative maintenance.

“It sounds like I’m laying blame on someone else,” he said. “In a normal situation, any repairs are taken care of by the business owner. That doesn’t happen here. I gave up that power.”

As it stands, the landlord has to approve any expenditure aside from daily operational costs, said Liberato.

“Would I do this sort of agreement again? No,” he said. “It’s a bad situation.”

Liberato said he’s keeping his club at the facility because he “believes in the community” and has an appreciation for the hard work and passion of the staff.

Plans to cover the pool with a suspension floor remain the only feasible way to expand the club within current permitting parameters, said Liberato.

Any additional building space would encroach on limited parking in the plaza requiring approval from the city and surrounding tenants.

“Remodeling the pool area doesn’t require approval,” he said.

Although it seems like a suitable way to expand square footage for weight machines and cardio equipment, the decision to cover the only regulation pool in town could potentially push members away.

Those in attendance questioned if people would be interested in visiting a club without a pool.

“I find it hard to believe people will keep their membership if the pool gets covered,” said Rita Brennan, co-coach for the Spartan swim team and mother of three children who frequented the pool.

Swim lessons provide a lifelong skill for children living in an area surrounded by water, she said.

Brennan said there are many in the community who are willing to financially support efforts to keep the pool going, but they are hesitant to funnel money into a private business.

Suzanne Stephenson, president of the Steelhead Swim Team, agreed.

“It’s time to get a community pool,” she said, “a pool where we have a say.”

Stephenson said she is in contact with state representatives and Stanwood’s mayor to get conversations started. Members of the Steelhead club collected names and information to form a steering committee for the project.

People are going to have to get angry to make this happen, said Stephenson.

Staff Reporter Adam Stewart: 629-8066 ext. 115 or astewart@scnews.com.