Construction on Athens’ long-awaited new pool will begin late this summer — so late that ground will be broken on the same day the current pool closes for the season. Athens City Council held a special session and met in committee meetings Monday night, during which they saw a presentation on the new pool and passed additional ordinances. Here are the biggest takeaways from the meeting:
Construction on the new pool will begin soon
Keith Hall of MSA Consultants, the firm designing the city’s new municipal pool, gave council members an update on the pool. Hall said the design is nearly complete and within budget.
“We don’t feel like the cost has changed a whole lot,” Hall said. “We feel as if we’re on target with the budget.”
The total cost of the project is estimated to be around $6.45 million, and construction is expected to begin on Aug. 25 — the same day the current municipal pool closes.
The new pool will have a concession stand, a zero-entry main swimming pool, a special pool for children, a splash pad, two slides, a pool house with restrooms and storage and a lap pool.
The pool will also feature saltwater chlorination, a more environmentally friendly method of sanitizing the pool.
Councilwoman Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, said the environmentally friendly chlorination system fit with the city’s environmentally friendly attitude.
“It’s not just physical and visual, but it’s also going and doing a progressive design and engineering so that we can reduce the amount of toxic chemicals,” Fahl said.
The lack of chemicals can make the pool water less harsh, Hall said. Saltwater chlorination is less harmful to the skin and eyes of swimmers.
The city will spend more than $400,000 on waterline renovations
Council members also passed an ordinance allowing waterline replacement on Avon Place and Dalton Avenue, paving the way for waterline improvements throughout the city.
Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said the waterline improvements would renovate the city’s old water lines.
“This ordinance is an attempt to improve our aging infrastructure,” Butler said.
The ordinance allows $467,000 of the city’s water fund money to be used on improvements.
Fahl said the improvements would benefit the entire north side of Athens.
“(Waterline improvements) also help the rest of the neighborhood for fire protection,” Fahl said.
In a previous Post report, Council President Chris Knisely said the hills in Athens decay its infrastructure.
“We’re always needing to pay attention, infrastructure-wise, to those water projects because we’re on hills,” Knisely said. “And when you’re on hills, waterlines are more susceptible to breakage and just needing monitoring and improvements.”
The city will do more street repairs than it has in past years
Council members also passed an ordinance authorizing street repairs for 2017. The repairs are part of the city’s annual “street rehab” programs.
Councilwoman Jennifer Cochran, D-At Large, said more money would be spent on the extensive repairs this year.
“We will be doing more street paving this summer,” Cochran said. “We were able to allocate more funds because of the recent levy we passed.”
The additional repairs were partially made possible by Athens Mayor Steve Patterson’s advocacy for street repair. In a previous Post report, Knisely said it was Patterson who requested more money be set aside for street rehab.
“The mayor is requesting a minor shift so that some additional monies go into ‘street rehabilitation,’” Knisely said. “It’s basically our street repaving and repairs that go on every year.”
