Asheville's Department Parks and Recreation has just unveiled the new design for a smaller, shrunken Malvern Hills Pool. Now is when our community voices matter most. Decisions about the pool’s size, layout, and long-term role are being finalized. The proposed plan shrinks the pool from its historic 7,500 square feet down to just 5,369 square feet — nearly a 30% reduction — at the very time Asheville is growing and our largest pool, Recreation Park, has been destroyed by Helene. Once this smaller design is locked in, it will permanently limit how many families can use the pool and will disproportionately impact middle- and lower-income residents who rely on public pools because they cannot afford private memberships. Acting now is essential if we want Malvern Hills Pool to remain a true community-scale resource that provides safe, healthy, and equitable recreation for Asheville’s kids and families.