Aging Highland swimming pool closed nine days after opening for the summer

The Highland community pool is temporarily closed nine days after opening for its 59^th summer.

In late May, questions were trending on social media as to the future of the Highland pool, which the city has considered renovating in the past due to its age and increasing maintenance concerns. As of May 22, however, the plan was to open the community pool as usual on Memorial Day weekend.

“We’ve done several maintenance projects around the pool to keep things going, as there isn’t room in the budget to do a new one right now,” Conrad said at the time. “We are watching several other communities that are doing pool projects right now to get an idea of where construction costs will be; it’s pretty high right now.”

In fact, in 2019 the city commissioned a study on options for renovating or replacing the existing pool or building a new one from scratch in a different location.

Built in 1964 and last renovated in 1980, the pool does not meet current building codes and is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act for parking, access paths, steps and grading with only one ADA parking spot for the entire facility. Drainage has been a problem, and the bathhouse is open-air and original to the 1964 construction with no spaces for guards to take breaks.

As of the report, the filter system also did not meet codes or industry design standards, and FGM Architects and Counsilman-Hunsaker & Associates recommended either a $1.4 million renovation project or a total replacement of the pool.

Then in 2021, a resident survey found three out of four residents believed a new pool should be built in a different location. The bathhouse was the least popular aspect of the pool, and the open swim area was the most popular, reflecting that most residents use the pool for recreational swimming.

Residents wanted a deep water area, toddler pool and splash pad, better bathhouse, shaded lounging and seating and community aquatic programs for all ages.

As of 2021, building a new pool was estimated at $5 million, which met with resistance at the city council level. Since then, parks and recreation has been trying to keep the old pool operational.

However, on Tuesday city leaders announced that “an unforeseen breakdown of the pool’s pump motor left them without the ability to filter the pool water. The pool was to be closed for a few days, and in the meantime season pass holders will be permitted to use the indoor pool at the Korte Recreation Center.

“It’s just a pump that’s gone out; this happens from time to time,” Conrad said. The pool should reopen as soon as the electrician can get the pump and install it. As with home pools, Conrad said, the pumps have a life cycle.

As to the question of renovating or replacing the pool, it hasn’t come up again, Conrad said.

“There really hasn’t been any discussion on a new pool recently, with the prices skyrocketing,” he said.