Price Tag for New P’ville Pool Soars to Over $6M, Draws Scrutiny
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A reconstructed Pleasantville pool would now cost more than $6 million, a price that has raised questions regarding whether the village should continue pursuing the project.
The issue was discussed at length at the July 22 Pleasantville Village Board meeting as trustees considered accepting a contractor’s bid to start work in September.
The cost for the new pool will be funded by a 20-year, $6 million bond. Village residents would see their taxes rise by about $170 a year until the bond is paid off.
According to Village Administrator Eric Morrissey, the village currently has authorization to borrow up to $5 million for the project. If village board decides to move forward, it would either have to increase borrowing by $1 million through a supplemental bond resolution or use fund balance to cover the difference.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Anthony Carr told the board that a pre-award meeting was held on July 20 with contractors who bid on the project and that the board could award a bid at its next meeting on Aug. 12. The fast-approaching deadline to award the bid seemed to highlight concerns of the project’s high cost.
Original estimates hovered around $3 million when the project was first proposed in 2022. But last year the estimate rose to $4,786,000 because of the rising cost of materials. An additional $1.5 million was added to the project to pay for flood mitigation needed to protect the upgraded facility and offset future flooding impacts from the nearby Nannahagen Pond and surrounding waterways.
Village trustees debated whether the projected tax implication was acceptable and discussed possible options, including abandoning the project. Trustee Yemi Healy said many parents of young children have told her that they would rather have money spent on a recreation center that could be used throughout the year rather than paying for a new pool that is used for a few months.
“They would much rather update the look of the pool and use it as it is and do the repairs as needed,” she said. “I think the pool is important but a new indoor space like a recreation center is what more people would use. The pool is an amazing asset but I don’t think that’s the number where we should” do it.
Mayor Peter Scherer said there really was no space to build a new recreation center, which would cost at least $20 million.
“That is a number a community of 7,500 people I don’t think can digest,” he said.
The village spent $178,000 last year on a new pool liner, but it was destroyed when the pool was flooded by heavy rain last fall. It was determined that the damaged liner could not be repaired. Before that, the last time the pool liner was replaced was in 2007 and cost over $100,000.
Former longtime village trustee Jonathan Cunningham said a cost of $6 million for the pool was excessive.
“That price is stunningly high for a village of 7,500 people where maybe 1,100, 1,500 use the pool two or three months a year,” Cunningham said. “It seems extravagant.”
Cunningham pointed out the pool also serves residents living outside the village.
“They’re not going to pay the tax increase,” he said. “Is it fair to be asking taxpayers of the village to subsidize those folks who use the pool?”
Village Trustee Paul Alvarez said he supports a new pool because it allows the village to offer multiple programs for children and seniors. It’s also the main component of Pleasantville’s summer camp.
“I do think the pool is such an integral part for our residents, especially in the summertime, and to be able to run the camp,” Alvarez said. “Without that, I don’t know how many parents would find another place. I have two kids in the camp. It is a service that’s very valuable.”
The Pleasantville Pool Task Force conducted a community survey in 2021 with about 1,000 favorable responses from residents. Troy Tassier, chair of the task force, said one suggestion was that the design be scaled back to reduce the cost.
“There is nothing special in changing the design that’s going to save money,” Tassier said. “Unless you shrink the pool by 50 percent, you’re not going to see a big savings.”
The new pool is expected to be 11,017 square feet, about 20 percent larger than the current facility. It would feature a zero-entry area, additional lap lanes, a water slide and possibly a diving board. The kiddie pool will include water geysers.
“Time is getting short,” Tassier added. “If we delay and push it back, we will not be able to start building in September and we’ve already pushed it back two years. I really don’t see it being cheaper next year. It will probably be more expensive. If we do not move ahead this may never happen.”
If the project is undertaken, the village has planned to modestly raise membership fees. Scherer said there should be a conversation about how much people are willing to pay.
“This pool has been for here for 100 years and it’s been a place where community members have gathered from every level of the economic spectrum because public investment made that possible,” Scherer said. “People are able to use the pool, which is much cheaper than joining a private pool or club.”
The board has scheduled a special work session for this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Village Hall to discuss the project.
Abby is a local journalist who has reported on breaking news for more than 20 years. She currently covers community issues in The Examiner as a full-time reporter and has written for the paper since its inception in 2007. Read more from Abby’s editor-author bio here. Read Abbys’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/ab-lub2019/
