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Monday, July 10, 2000

Portland considering a new two-well pool

Hearing on proposed facility set for Aug. 15; proposal may require 13% increase in taxes

By Michael Hines
Caller-Times

Susan Voorhees, 41, said she takes her daughters, Alayna, 6, and Jazy, 8, to Portland's city pool about four times a week.
   Sometimes, they have to hold their breath both in and out of the water.
   "It smells like a sewer," she said. "It smells like it constantly."
   Concerns like that have pushed Portland leaders into studying the possibility of building a new pool in the coming months. A public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 15 at the Portland Community Center, where a new pool would likely be built.
   The gathering will address the costs of building a new pool facility, which could mean an estimated 13 percent increase in city taxes.
   City Council members agreed to hold the hearing at their July 5 meeting, and some members are ready to dive right into the project.
   "I think it's time to move forward on it," City Council member Peggy Locascio said.
   Two-well pool proposed
   City leaders envision an outdoor, two-well pool. One well would have a depth range from zero to about four feet, and the other would be an Olympic-sized pool with eight swimming lanes and two diving boards.
   The Olympic-sized area would remain open year-round while the smaller facility would be used seasonally. Currently, the city's outdoor pool is only seasonal.
   According to engineering studies presented to council members Thursday, building the pool would cost about $1.7 million, which would mean increasing the property tax rate from 60 cents per $100 valuation to about 68 cents per $100 valuation.
   Potential tax increase
   On $100,000 of taxable value, taxes would rise from about $600 to about $677.80.
   The cost of maintaining the pool year round would be $218,176, which is about $162,000 more than maintaining the current one, an S-shaped pool with a depth range from about three to 11 feet and four lanes.
   But the new pool could attract about $25,000 from swimming competitions and year-round use, which is about double what the current pool garners.
   Current pool 'outdated'
   If a new pool is built, that would clear the way to demolish the existing pool, said Tim Patek, Parks and Recreation director. That would cost $16,015.
   A new pool is needed, Patek said, owing to the current model's age and upkeep. It was built in the 1960s.
   Patek said new problems have cropped up with the current pool each of the last three years. In 1998, it needed a new pump motor.
   Awning around the area needed to be replaced last year. This year, it needed new piping because of rust.
   "It's a great pool for when it was built," he said. "It's a good pool but it's just outdated."
   'It's definitely time'
   And as it gets older, the pool becomes more expensive to maintain, Locascio said.
   She said council members have seen pictures of the pool's wear and tear, with missing bricks and other eyesores. Some residents at the pool Thursday said bathrooms could also use some tidying up at times.
   But for many residents, a new pool would be cool mostly because of the current one's age.
   "I remember my grandmother bringing me here when I was a kid, and I'm 35 now," Marian Hernandez said. "It's time. It's definitely time."
   Still others, however, said things are going just swimmingly.
   "I really don't think they need a new pool," said Richard Rozanski, 62, who brings his 4-year-old granddaughter, Taylor Levin, to the pool about three times a week. "I don't see any reason for a change."
   That sort of divide is what makes a public hearing so important, Locascio said.
   "I want to take this to the citizens and let them make the decision," she said. "I just don't want to see this put on the shelf."
  
  

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Staff writer Michael Hines can be reached at 886-3758 or by e-mail at hinesm@caller.com

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