Showing its age

The Portland Pool is beginning to show its age spots.

Nearly 50 years of wear and tear have left the pool cracked and leaky. But city officials aren't ready to give up on it just yet.

"Right now, we're able to patch everything and bring it back to life" every year, said Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent. "It just takes a little bit of TLC and a lot of paint."

The walls are cracking and the filtration system is leaking, but the hundreds of kids who visit the pool each summer don't seem to mind. In fact, area children swimming at the pool this week didn't even seem to notice the cracks or areas that were recently patched.

Every spring, park and street department employees spend hours washing and painting the pool, along with patching holes. Sometimes, large chunks of concrete fall off and have to be replaced, and there are always leaks.

The pool, which is located in Weiler-Wilson Park, was built in 1960 by Paddock. It holds 57,000 gallons of water, and has to be topped off each morning. There also is a baby pool for children ages 6 and younger.

"I think the age is showing," said Rachel McKee, manager of the pool.

"Every year, we have to put more money into it," Harker said. "We need to look at what direction we want to go in."

"We certainly need to decide what kind of investment (we want to make)," said Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland.

Neil Medler, president of the Portland Park Board, said he thinks the next step for the pool should be to get a liner and replace the gutter system.

"We anticipate spending somewhere in the neighborhood of half a million (dollars) give or take, and our plan is to have this accomplished by next summer," Medler said.

Late in 2007, board members discussed seeking cost estimates for a new liner and new gutter system. A quote received in September of 2007 estimated that a new liner for the large pool would cost about $75,000.

But before a liner can be installed, the leaking gutter system must be replaced. If it isn't, water could leak behind the liner.

RenoSys Corporation, Indianapolis, provided that quote in 2007 and refused to install a liner without fixing the leaks in the gutter system.

Later that year, city officials estimated the cost of a new gutter system would be about $75,000, plus labor. Board members later voted to seek bids for a gutter system, but rescinded their votes early the next year.

Board members had hoped to have city employees install a new gutter system, to cut out labor costs. However, they later learned that if city employees made a mistake in installing the gutter system, the company the system is purchased from would make the repairs. The city would then be charged for the repairs.

Medler said this week that he believes the installation should be done by the companies from which the gutter system and liner are purchased.

The gutter system runs along the edge of the pool and takes water to the filter. If a liner were installed, it would be attached to the gutter. A new liner could extend the life of the pool by about 15 years.

Besides structural improvements, McKee said she would like to see a heating system added to the pool - as well as a water feature, such as a fountain, in the baby pool. She said she receives several complaints about the temperature of the water.

Harker said city officials are considering installing a solar heating system to alleviate the problem.

Medler said he has been told a solar system could cost about $15,000. He said the pool should be made structurally sound before the addition of a heating system.

Harker, Medler and park board member Sharon Bubp agreed that they would also like to see the restrooms/bath house at the pool upgraded.

The building was constructed with the pool. It not only contains toilets and sinks, but also showers. The ticket booth, office and concession stand also are inside the building.

Harker said the plumbing in the building needs to be replaced and the building is deteriorating. He said a new roof was installed several years ago.

Hosier said city officials and board members need to determine what upgrades need to be made to the pool and prioritize those changes.

During the past few years, the city has been taking small steps to improve the pool.

To help make the pool more parent-friendly, new lounge chairs and tables with umbrellas have been added in recent years.

"I think we're working on (improving the pool) slowly," Bubp said.

Harker and the board members agreed that they, ultimately, would like to see a new pool built.

Before the current pool was created, there was an oval-shaped pool behind the current street and park department building. Back then, the building was a youth center. The pool opened before 1950 and was filled in when the new one was built. Medler said he was a lifeguard at the old pool.

"They abandoned ... got rid of it because it was very small," Medler said of the city's first pool. A basketball court and baseball diamonds now stand where the old pool once was.

When the board decided to close down the old pool and build a new one, a group of city residents lobbied for the new pool to be built at Portland Memorial Park, he said. After much debate, park board members decided to put the pool in its current location.

The prospect of building a new pool again is exciting to park board members and community leaders, but they are keeping the current state of the economy and the possible price tag in the back of their minds.

"It's certainly not in my park budget" to build a new pool, Harker said. He said a new pool could cost $1.5 to $2 million. His park budget for this year is about $293,000. The only way the city could possibly fund the construction of a new pool would be to get a grant, take out a loan or do bonding, he said.

Hosier said the fact that the city has paid $650,000 to create Hudson Family Park has not had any financial affect on the pool. "We do not think Hudson park is taking away from the city pool at all," he said. The mayor said he feels the city will be able to balance both Hudson Family Park and upkeep of the pool.

"I would love to give the community a new pool but, unfortunately, the money is just not there," Harker said.

"My dream would be to get a new pool," park board member Kent McClung said. McClung takes his two children to the pool each year, and swam in it when he was a child. "That's the real calculation going on now," he said. "When do we pull the trigger on (a new pool)?"

Harker said if the city were to get a new pool, he would like to see it have a grassy area to sunbathe. He would also like a separate concession stand area and a canopy area for adults.

Bubp said it would be nice to have a water park-type area. This would have a series of sprinklers that shoot up water.

Although a brand new pool doesn't seem possible right now, Harker said he will continue to fix up the current one for as long as he can.

"I know it's something that the city needs to continue to have. It's definitely an asset," he said.

"I can't imagine a city without a pool," Medler said. "That's a necessity of quality of life."[[In-content Ad]]