Town Reviews Million-Dollar Options For Pool

July 2, 2009 by Josh Morgan

The Town received six proposals for a future enclosure at the Cheshire Community Pool last week, all of which would cost the Town more than what it cost to originally build the facility 10 years ago.
However, Town Manager Michael Milone “cautioned” that the proposals are still in the “preliminary review” stage and it was his expectation that that the Town could break out some of the costs to “bring the estimates in much lower.”
“These are extremely complex and we expect the dollar amounts quoted could be disaggregated,” Milone said. “We are trying to get all the preliminary information together.”
The pool officially opened in the summer of 2002, after a lengthy and difficult process. Originally, voters approved a $2.9 million expenditure in November 1996 for the indoor/outdoor aquatic facility. Two years later, the public authorized an additional appropriation of $600,000 for the pool. Since that time, there have been problems with reducing energy consumption and maintaining proper moisture controls.
The Town Council formed a subcommittee to craft a proposal that would cover a broad range of structures, to try and help address the issues at the pool. Proposals, which also sought out ways to reduce energy costs, had been submitted to the Town earlier this year but were finally reviewed by officials on June 24.
“The gross numbers quoted are at least or more than the original cost of the pool,” Milone said. “But I caution people to remember that this is a preliminary review.”
The seven proposals range in cost between $4 million and $8 million for a new enclosure and other measures, such as new electrical and mechanical systems. Several different ideas have been presented within the proposals, including a permanent cement structure with windows and a telescopic system that would retract to give the facility an open-air feel. None of the proposals suggested the use of an air-supported bubble like the one that is currently being utilized at the facility.
“These cost more than the original pool building,” explained Joseph Michelangelo, director of Public Works. “I don’t think there is any way it could be a Capital Budget item this year.”
Rather, Michelangelo anticipated the structure to be a November 2010 referendum item, if the Town Council decides to move forward with a new enclosure. However, Michelangelo explained that the Town is not bound to any of the proposals that were opened last week, as it was not a formal bidding process.
The request for proposal (RFP) that the Town issued earlier this year did not call for a specific type of structure but rather, the RFP tried to specify goals the new structure should meet. Listed first on the requirements was to make the facility more self-sustaining by limiting operating costs, while improving overall conditions. A 31,000-square-foot bubble currently covers the pool from September to May and during that time there is a massive consumption of natural gas and electricity. Currently, programs and activities raise about 60 percent of the money needed to run the pool, while the Town provides an annual $420,000 subsidy.
Work is currently being done on the 5,700-square-foot interior building, which houses locker rooms, changing areas, and staff offices. Throughout the summer, the pool will remain open, but patrons will have to use trailers parked outside to change, shower, or use the restroom.
Michelangelo said “every piece of sheetrock” was being removed for mold issues. The hard surfaces, such as the floors, can be scrubbed clean and do not need to be replaced, he explained. A bid will be solicited in the coming weeks to rebuild the interior of the building, with work expected to start at the beginning of August. Michelangelo said this latest work would not compromise a new enclosure for the pool.
“This is the permanent building,” Michelangelo said, “so whatever happens down the line, this won’t be wasted money.”