Wilde Lake’s pool made a splash in 1968—integrated, ambitious, and, yep, over budget. It was part of James Rouse’s big vision for Columbia: recreation for all Columbia residents, funded by membership fees, not tax dollars. That’s still the deal today—Columbia’s 27 pools are owned and operated by the Columbia Association for its members, though anyone can join.
But here’s the rub: with only one county-run public pool in all of Howard County (Roger Carter in Ellicott City) and two more slowly coming to North Laurel, many nonresidents buy CA memberships—about 40% of pool members live outside Columbia. That demand strains capacity, drives costs, and fuels debate about equity and access.
CA spends millions each year to maintain pools, operating them at a loss to keep them open. Advocates say the county’s dragged its feet on public pools for decades, leaving Columbia Association to shoulder a job it was never meant to do. ($)
