Vienna proposes temporary meals tax hike to fund pool and fitness center

Vienna leaders are warming up to the idea of a public swimming pool, a decade after throwing cold water on the idea when planning community center renovations.

Consultants hired to research possible long-term uses of the former Faith Baptist Church property at 301 Center Street South — now known as the Annex — shared their final recommendation of an indoor aquatics and fitness facility with the Vienna Town Council at a work session on Monday (Sept. 30).

After community members expressed a desire for recreational amenities, particularly an indoor pool, fitness center or pickleball courts, council members signaled that they not only want to move forward with the proposal, but would like to do so as quickly as possible.

“Vienna residents are very health-conscious, and this is something they have been asking for, for a long time,” Mayor Linda Colbert said in a press release. “It’s exciting that we now have the opportunity to make it a reality.”

The report from Kimmel Bogrette Architecture & Kimley Horn wraps up two years of debate over what to do with the 3-acre site, which was acquired by the Town of Vienna for $5.5 million in 2020 to temporarily host its police department.

After the police finished moving into their permanent new station in January 2023, the town council voted to demolish the church rather than spend money to maintain or improve buildings that might eventually be removed anyway. The demolition process concluded in May, leaving an empty field that sometimes turns into a parking lot when the athletic fields across the street are busy.

The concept

Based on direction from the town council and staff as well as public input, Kimmel Bogrette proposed a concept for a two-story recreational facility with a swimming pool and multi-purpose community rooms on the ground level and a fitness center on the upper level.

The proposed concept for a Vienna aquatics and wellness facility would have a second-floor fitness center overlooking the swimming pool (via Kimmel Bogrette Architecture report)

The pool would be geared more toward leisure instead of competitive swimming, with a water slide, aquatic therapy area and wading pool in addition to four 25-yard lap lanes. Suggested components of the fitness center include a classroom, a turf area and separate rooms for cardio and weights.

The facility would accommodate a maximum occupancy of 426 people, including staff, but according to an operational cost analysis, a community like Vienna without an existing public pool and fitness option could support an estimated 7,335 members, including up to 5,375 non-town residents.

“Speaking specifically to the Town and its population, [Kimmel Bogrette] believes that the program spaces are ‘right sized,’” the report says. “However, B*K would anticipate that in the first 1-2 years of operation there will be times when the demand for the pools may exceed the capacity of the spaces.”

Membership is projected to “normalize” after about four years.

In response to concerns about the size of the facility, a representative for Kimmel Bogrette noted that the aquatics and fitness areas were expanded slightly at the town council’s request. About 9,000 square feet is currently dedicated to fitness.

“It was actually good for the operating numbers, because a little more water surface and a little more fitness made it perform better,” he said. “There’s a practical limit on this site as to whether you can park it and cover it and do all those other things, and we’re not at the maximum limit, so there’s some flexibility in here.”

Proposed Vienna aquatics and fitness center concept layout (via Kimmel Bogrette Architecture/Town of Vienna presentation)

Jessica Ramaikis suggested setting the building further back from Center Street so the outdoor space can be used for more than a parking lot, which is shown as having 143 spaces and 26 bicycle racks.

“I think that would be nice, even if it was some type of area that had picnic tables or something that was like gathering outdoor space would be appropriate for the continuity of the area,” she said. “I think it would also incorporate some of the thoughts we’ve heard from others who are residents nearby this site.”

The consultant said the concept doesn’t specify outdoor amenities because those weren’t discussed previously. However, the entrance was designed to emphasize a pedestrian connection with the plaza outside the neighboring Vienna Police Station.

Meals tax increase proposed

Council members advocated for getting the facility open by 2030, but with the estimated cost ranging from nearly $21 million to $26.5 million, a temporary, 1-percent increase to the town’s 3% meals tax would be needed to meet that deadline. Going through the usual capital planning process, the project would finish in 2040 at the earliest.

The Town of Vienna uses meals tax revenue to pay for capital project bonds and other debts, forecasting that it will generate $3.4 million each in 2024 and 2025, according to the adopted budget. A temporary increase was implemented from 2002 to 2008 to fund the Town Green, Colbert noted in the town’s press release.

“Despite the extra penny tax on the dollar, overall restaurant revenues increased during that time,” the mayor said. “We have an opportunity now to use the same formula to construct an aquatics and fitness center in the heart of Vienna. We’re talking about an extra 3 cents for a $3 cup of coffee or an extra 15 cents on a $15 meal to pay for a highly desired Town facility as quickly as possible.”

The increase would be in place for 10 years if adopted to fund the aquatics and fitness facility project.

The Vienna Town Council is now seeking input on the proposal with plans to hold a public hearing on Nov. 18. Comments can also be sent by email to [email protected].

  • Angela Woolsey

    Angela Woolsey is the site editor for FFXnow. A graduate of George Mason University, she worked as a general assignment reporter for the Fairfax County Times before joining Local News Now as the Tysons Reporter editor in 2020.

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