Encouraging news on two fronts for city pool

The recent heat wave may have fried some nerves, boiled some brains and burned some brows but it also proved to be a gold mine for the Greencastle Aquatic Center.

More than 6,500 people made their way into the city pool during the first 15 days of the season, the Greencastle City Council learned this week. And those weren't the only encouraging words from City Park Director Rod Weinschenk.

In reporting that the pool is averaging close to 600 people a day when the temperature is 90 degrees or more, Weinschenk was quick to point out, "That's really good. The weather has been exactly what we needed."

The pool has also sold 83 season family passes and 60 individual passes for the year, Weinschenk said.

The park director also had some better news concerning the pool accessibility issue raised under the Americans With Disabilities (ADA) Act.

"It's a good law," Weinschenk said. "I hate to say it's a federal mandate but there's not going to be any grants available (to modify the pool to comply)."

Originally Weinschenk had feared that a major renovation of the pool deck and zero-depth section would be necessary for ADA compliance, along with the addition of a lift apparatus to allow handicapped individuals entry into the pool itself. He initially listed each part of that equation as a $10,000 project.

"It might not be as expensive as that," Weinschenk told the City Council this week.

He said he plans to contact the ADA access Board about the pool accessibility issue will report back to city officials with a clearer indication of what's ahead.

"We're fine for this summer," the park director said, echoing remarks he made to the Park Board earlier this month. "The deadline for compliance is March 15, 2012, so we actually have until Memorial Day 2012 (the day the city pool traditionally opens to the public)."

Weinschenk said he had nothing new to report on the recall of the pool drain covers, which has effectively shut down the baby pool at Robe-Ann Park for the summer.

Other items from the June City Council meeting will be addressed in a later article.