PORT TOWNSEND — A projected one-month closure of the Mountain View Commons pool has been extended by at least another few weeks because two circulation pumps failed.
The municipal pool, the only public one in Port Townsend, has been closed since Nov. 14.
It was scheduled to host an open house Saturday, followed by the regular free swim Sunday, but the unanticipated failure of the pumps has pushed the reopening into the new year, according to an email sent to pool users Tuesday.
The pumps had been slated for replacement but not immediately, according to project manager Samantha Trone.
“There is always a balance when you have old and new parts together,” she said.
Rena Murman of Port Townsend, a member of the JeffCo Aquatic Coalition, a citizen advocacy coalition with 2,300 supporters, said the closure affects hundreds of users, “from the youth Barracudas Swim Team to Seaport Landing residents who come for a balance and movement class.
“It’s devastating for those of us who rely on the pool for regular exercise and recreation,” she said.
Earll Murman, coalition president, said the nearest public pools are about an hour away from Port Townsend — in Sequim, Port Angeles, Poulsbo or Silverdale.
“There are a lot of people who rely on the pool for exercise or have special needs who aren’t doing anything right now,” he said.
“It’s also a shame that it won’t be open for the holiday week, which is when a lot of people use the pool,” Murman said.
The email said “yesterday’s optimism has been superseded by today’s realities,” adding that the pump failure meant the water heated by a temporary boiler never got to the main building or the pool.
“This just highlights the issue with these type of repairs — as you fix one part of the system it makes other issues apparent that need to be addressed,” the email said.
Added pool manager Anji Scalf: “Anyone who has ever dealt with a contractor knows that things always come up.”
Two new boilers were installed but are not yet online. Heating needs are now met with a temporary boiler.
Anticipating a longer pool closure, staff tackled the renovation of both locker rooms, stripping the painted floors and regrouting tiles.
These upgrades will be complete by the beginning of the year, pool staff said.
The new heating system will automate many functions and allow each room individual temperature controls.
It is part of a process intended to turn the 50-year-old former elementary school, which is now Mountain View Commons, into a major municipal activity center.
The City Council earlier this month approved a proposed bond measure for the Feb. 10 special election ballot.
If voters approve the measure, up to $3.6 million in bond sales would to go toward the estimated $4.1 million needed to complete Mountain View renovations.
The measure would be a property tax increase of no more than 13 cents per $1,000 of valuation for 15 years, city officials said.
For more information, phone 360-385-7665 or visit www.cityofpt.us/pool.htm.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
