Plans To Refurb Southington's Rec Park Pool Delayed

SOUTHINGTON, CT — At about 35 years old, the public swimming pool at Recreation Park is in need of a fix — or outright replacement.

How the town will get there, however, is still not finalized, a byproduct of the inflation and supply chain issues impacting just about all construction projects.

The Southington Town Council discussed the situation Sept. 26, ultimately voting to table further decisions until costs and proposed fixes become clearer regarding the pool, located at the 25 Maxwell Noble Drive park in Plantsville.

Prior to the decision to table, Southington Public Work Director Annette Turnquist briefed the council on the situation.

She said, originally, plans called for a $1.545 million renovation of both the main pool, the kiddie pool and pool house, but due to ongoing inflation issues, the cost to do what was originally desired would be about $2.5 million.

This prompted the town to revise the scope of the project and, working with contractors, the town cut the pool reconstruction costs down to about $1.19 million, Turnquist told the school board, according to meeting minutes.

Allowing for this reduction was eliminating work to the kiddie pool, she said, and changing the type of reconstruction of the main pool, namely using an industrial grade liner for the pool instead of a new, concrete structure, she said.

Add in the pool house renovation — a $440,000 initiative — and taxpayers are staring at a revised pool refurb project in the $1.3 million range, according to meeting minutes.

Councilman Paul Chaplinsky, though, questioned the effectiveness of a new pool liner versus a new, concrete pool, saying even an industrial grade liner might not hold up and need repairs.

He said Sept. 26 that high chlorine levels could cause the liner to break down faster and require repairs down the road.

Turnquist said she would consult with other towns that have utilized such pool liners and collect information for the town.

For the minutes of the Sept. 26 Southington Town Council meeting, click on this link.