PORT TOWNSEND — The Mountain View Pool, which closed in November for repairs, will reopen March 15 with a community open swim.
The time of the event has not been determined, but it could include a crepe-paper bunting that swimmers break to resemble a ribbon cutting, according to Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Director Matt Tyler.
The public pool was refilled Feb. 22 and chlorinated, said Pool Manager Anji Scalf.
“The water is so polished now since we do not have particulate from the failing plaster liner clogging up the filters,” Scalf said.
“The water quality is phenomenal.”
The final step in the pool’s renovation at 1925 Blaine St. is the installation of new lighting, scheduled for Thursday.
The $170,000 repair project, which included installation of a new liner and refurbishing the plumbing, is about half of what is needed to complete the repair process, City Manager David Timmons said.
The project was kept to budget despite discovering several unanticipated leaks in the plumbing system, Timmons said.
Timmons said funding for the next phase of the repair, which includes the installation of an air handler system, is uncertain and might be postponed until creation of a metropolitan parks district, which requires voter approval.
The soonest that a parks district creation measure can get on the ballot is November, advocates said.
Timmons said the original air-handler system was installed incorrectly, and that a new system would improve the ventilation and breathability of the air around the pool.
“The air handler was going the wrong way when the pool was built, which is why the chlorine smell is so strong in there,” Timmons said.
Scalf said she will distribute a schedule and a poster with information about the March 15 event.
Volunteers are needed to prepare for the opening, with volunteer hours from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesdays and from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays.
For information, call Scalf at 360-774-6638.
Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
