YMCA/Port Orange Pool Closed
$32K Port Orange YMCA pool repairs to take at least another week
Published: Sunday, July 19, 2015 at 7:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, July 19, 2015 at 7:46 p.m.
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Members of the Port Orange Family YMCA who have had to wait to take a dip in the clear blue waters of the center’s pool will likely have to wait longer — at least another week, a spokesperson said.
The pool located at 4701 City Center Circle was forced to close July 5 when the clarity of the pool’s water became a concern, according to Port Orange Parks and Recreation Director Susan Lovello.
While originally it was thought to be an issue with the chemical components in the pool, Lovello said, the problem was eventually found to be a mechanical issue with the sand filtering system. That issue prompted Port Orange interim City Manager David Harden to issue an emergency work order for $32,916, Lovello said, which was expected to be approved by Port Orange City Council at a Tuesday night meeting at City Hall.
“Due to mechanical issues a sand filter wasn’t filtering so the YMCA is going to have to replace components involved,” said Joe Capece, executive director of the Port Orange Family YMCA.
The Port Orange location completed a $720,000 makeover late last year which took a year and a half to finish, according to an earlier News-Journal interview with Volusia-Flagler Family YMCA President and Chief Executive Officer Teresa Rogers. The center built a new pool deck and underwent a cosmetic makeover, but the filtering system wasn’t included in the remodel.
Capece said that the contractor was expected to get started on the pool repairs Monday and the work is estimated to take between 7 and 10 days from then — putting the community’s cool-off date tentatively between July 27-30.
In the meantime, Capece said, leagues and lessons are still being offered — just not at the Port Orange location.
With the exception of private event rentals which the Port Orange location could not accommodate, Capese said, everything has run according to schedule.
Capece said Artesian Pools has graciously donated its pool showroom at 762 South Nova Road in Daytona Beach and is hosting any swimming lessons that The Y offered, while The Southeast Volusia Family YMCA branch at 148 W. Turgot Ave. in Edgewater is hosting league play and competitions in the interim.
That’s a blessing, Capese said, because the Ormond Beach Family YMCA pool has also been out of commission, as well. Thankfully, however, the Ormond Beach pool — which had been unusable since at least February because of major renovations and was originally expected to be completed by May 1 — was finally reopened Friday at noon.
Capese was relieved.
“That was rough,” Capese said about members not being able to use either of the pools — smack dab in the middle of a steamy Florida summer.
The $1 million renovations to the Ormond Beach pool are part of a much larger remodeling plan the organization has in store for the community center. Sometime in 2016, according to The Volusia-Flagler Family YMCA 2014 annual report, work is planned for an estimated $5 million project that includes a rehabilitation facility, a revamped wellness center and a 3,000 square-foot community center.
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$720.000 for a cosmetic upgrade for the Y pool but no one thought to replace the old filtering system a most important component. Duh? Incidently, both Port Orange and Ormond Beach used the Holly Hill facilities but the poor little Holly Hill Y didn’t get so much as a mention even though they were terribly inconvenienced with no parking for their long term regular members.
My wife was told today that it will be THREE WEEKS before they can expect the pool to be open! I hope that is a long estimate to make every body think they hustled and finished early. I was told earlier that the contractor was held up dealing with city hall and delayed parts order and work start for almost a week.
I don’t know Newton. When contractors work for the city, I don’t trust either party. Contractors usually don’t want any one snooping around their work, I guess for a variety of reasons. Neither does city hall like snooping around. A real pair of team players are they.