As a little girl, Tina Skeldon Wozniak was one of the first people to splash around the pool at the Lucas County Recreation Center, a facility her father, the late Ned Skeldon, pushed for.

But yesterday she joined the two other Lucas County commissioners in voting to seek bids to demolish the 39-year-old pool in Maumee.

The pool, which didn't open last year, would cost too much to repair and renovate, Ms. Wozniak said.

“It's sad to end the era of the pool at the rec center,” she said. “It meant a lot to people in the area for years and years. But the reality is that it's a pool that doesn't serve its purpose anymore.”

Jim Shaw, director of public service for the county, said it likely will cost between $200,000 to $250,000 to tear out the pool and fill it in with clay and soil.

He said getting rid of the pool, which opened in 1964, will make space for the potential water park that's called for in the county's master plan for the recreation center.

“We'll have a greenspace site so someone can come in and develop it,” Mr. Shaw said.

The commissioners have been exploring the possibility of building a water park at the recreation center, but no firm plans have been made. The county has applied for a $2 million state grant to help build a water park but isn't expected to hear about it for a few months.

Harry Barlos, president of the commissioners, supports the water park concept and said demolishing the pool is an essential first step.

Commissioner Maggie Thurber said any serious conversations about a water park need to take into account whether it can make any money and pay for itself. “Sure it's a neat concept,” she said. “But do I support going forward? Not until we have a good business plan.”

In other business, the commissioners welcomed a five-member delegation from Cape Town, South Africa, who have worked with the county auditor's staff to develop a computer-assisted appraisal system.

First Published April 4, 2003, 1:31 p.m.