Recreation

May 15, 2026

By Kim Elliott, CLP
Recreation Director
City of Roswell

Think back to the time when you were first married. You, and I, were able to get along with much less. Our needs were not as great. We could live off the salary of one. Our living arrangements could be seen simply as a kitchen, living room, bath and one bedroom. We did not even need storage at that time because we did not have anything. Transportation could be accommodated by a little two seater sportster or Volkswagen bug.

Those were the days! It did not take much to meet our needs, did it?

Shortly after the honeymoon, we started to realize that it took more and more to meet the needs of a literal growing family. The two seat sportster had to be traded in for a sedan and later for a van that would handle a growing family. One paycheck was not enough. We found that we needed a house with several bedrooms, baths and storage.

Yes, things change. That two seat sportster still met the needs of part of the family, just not the majority of the family. We could have piled mom, dad and four kids into one bedroom, but that would not have met the needs of the family. Isn’t it funny how additional people or the passage of time requires additional storage? The closet was still good. It just did not meet the needs of mom or sis, let alone the entire family!

Our family needs changed as our family grew.

Roswell’s needs change as our community grows, too. Let’s look at one facility that has changed during the past several years.

Cahoon Swimming Pool, in Cahoon Park was built in the 1930’s to meet the needs of the Roswell community. Cahoon Pool did that very admirably for about 50 years or until about 1980. Our community,

trends, families, and needs are not the same as they were in previous years. We may try to tell ourselves that nothing has changed, but, the truth is...things do change!

Cahoon Pool is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend, May 23, 1998. The morning hours are devoted to lessons, seniors and lap swimming. The general public is welcome at the pool from 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM Monday, Wednesday and Fridays and 7:00 PM on all other days. The family can swim and play together on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM for a half price admission.

Cahoon Pool is located in a beautiful setting in Cahoon Park. Parking is limited and it is surrounded by a residential area. The site is compact making it difficult to expand. If we add amenities like a waterslide to meet the needs of the public, we increase attendance. Increased attendance means more parking is needed, which is not available, and, more people will come to the park which will impact negatively on the surrounding residences. Without the increased attendance, the pool operation loses approximately $70,000 every season.

We have averaged about 29,000 in attendance for the past several years with approximately 3,500 different users over the summer season. Most of our users are youth, ages 5-11 years old.

It is feasible to renovate Cahoon Pool. However, it would be like renovating a Model T and telling the family that this was going to take care of their transportation needs for the next 50 years. The Model T still runs, but, it is not adequate for the entire family.

All of these problems can be remedied by building a new facility - a Family Aquatic Center in the new Cielo Grande Recreation Area. A new facility will have the potential to pay its own way, once it is built. It will draw users from out of town and make Roswell a destination point. Increased seasonal employment will result. A new and modern facility will be a sign to prospective new industry that Roswell has a commitment to providing and meeting the leisure needs of future employees. Family participation, interaction, and values will be promoted which will help to reduce the overall crime picture in the community and promote community pride. At the very least, a new facility will be designed to accommodate people of all ages and not just one age group.

Yes, we will try and keep Cahoon Swimming Pool open as long as we can, or until we can locate the funds to develop a new facility. However, there will come a time in the very near future when Cahoon Pool, because of its age, condition, and failure to meet the needs of the community, that it will no longer be open to the community. It may not be a wise use of taxpayer money to renovate. Renovation would provide for a like new facility, but, the facility would still not meet the needs of the entire community. Roswell deserves the best.

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