Around Town

Parks Officials Set Proposed Fees, Plan Upgrades to Waveny Pool

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Hoping more residents buy family (versus individual) passes for Waveny Pool as officials plan several new features and upgrades at the facility, the Park & Recreation Commission on Wednesday voted in favor of a new slate of fees for the 2015 season. The fee for regular family passes will come down from $475 to $425, under the proposed structure, while passes that allow for daily use and guests will go up, under the commission’s plan. The changes are designed to lure families to purchase season passes rather than mixing and matching daily and guest passes to save money. “It sounds by looking at everything that people were gaming the system by buying this [individual daily pass] and then bringing in people as guests for $5,” Commission Chair Sally Campbell said at the group’s meeting, held in the Douglas Room at Lapham Community Center. Here’s a look at the proposed fee schedule, compared to last year:

 

The Waveny Pool financially must self-sustain, and the commission all through last summer had believed that revenues, though up from the prior year, still fell short of projections—a difficult prospect, given what recreation officials have called a sorely needed plaster replacement job.

Government

New Canaan Y Proposes ‘Bubbling’ Waveny Pool for Use Next Winter

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Saying the “bubbling” of Waveny Pool for winter use next year would serve high school as well as New Canaan YMCA swimmers, minimize schedule disruptions and keep competitive swim team families here in town, Y officials on Wednesday night formally introduced the idea of installing a heated temporary dome over the outdoor pool while their South Avenue facility undergoes major renovation. The Y would cover all capital costs associated with the “bubble” and provide for heated locker room and bathroom/shower facilities—whether by winterizing the Waveny Pool’s existing locker rooms or through trailers, Executive Director Craig Panzano told the Park & Recreation Commission at its regular monthly meeting. “I think the key word here tonight is ‘temporary,’ ” Panzano said at the meeting, held in the Douglas Room at Lapham Community Center. “We are not trying to do anything permanent. We just want a temporary solution.”

The Y plans to break ground on its renovation project (details here) next September.

Government

New Canaan Sees Rise in Permits Issued to Build Pools

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The number of permits issued to build new pools at private residences in New Canaan has increased by half-again as many in the past five years, and is on pace in 2014 to see the most permits issued in that period, officials say. From 18 total permits issued in 2009, New Canaan saw 26 permits issued in 2013 and already the town has issued 23 this year, according to data from the building department. Officials say the rise in new pools being built at New Canaan homes could factor into the projected shortfall from season passes at Waveny Pool this summer. In the past five years the numbers of pool permits issued are:

2009: 18
2010: 21
2011: 26
2012: 21
2013: 26
2014: 23 (to date)

Though overall the town will end up taking in more money this year at Waveny Pool than last, officials have estimated that the total will be about $77,000 short of goals—an important consideration since the pool’s plaster lining must be replaced at some point. It helped the bottom line that the Park & Recreation Commission sold 100 family passes this year to nonresidents, at $1,000 each, and raised rates on other types of passes.

Around Town

Y Exploring Options for Displaced Swimmers-To-Be, including Waveny Pool

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One option that the New Canaan YMCA is exploring for its high-performing swimmers next winter (that’s 2015-16)—as a widely anticipated expansion project gets underway and the facility’s pools are not usable—is having the team work out of the nearby outdoor pool at Waveny, town parks officials say. Temporarily “bubbling” and otherwise cold weather-proofing the Waveny Pool during its usual offseason is something the Y is starting to look into, Park & Recreation Commission Chair Sally Campbell said at the group’s most recent meeting. “They’re good citizens of the town, they serve a lot of people in the town and I think we owe it to them [to hear them out],” Campbell said the July 9 meeting, held in the Douglas Room at Lapham Community Center. Asked about the idea, YMCA Vice President of Financial Development, Marketing, and Strategic Initiatives Kristina Barrett said in an email: “Yes, we are exploring options for where swimmers, including the high school team, will go during construction. We are taking every effort to minimize any inconvenience to our members and would be happy to work with Parks & Rec to explore any solutions they might have.”

Town planning officials in April approved the Y’s expansion plans (on 33 conditions).

Around Town

Resident Family Passes for Waveny Pool Down, Revenue Shortfall Projected

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New Canaan this summer has seen far more residents purchase daily passes for the Waveny Pool than in years past, yet fewer are buying the more expensive season passes, prompting parks officials to look at ways they might boost revenue for the self-sustaining facility. Members of the Park and Recreation Commission at the group’s regular meeting Wednesday night agreed that they must plan to have enough money in reserve to pay for a new plaster lining for the pool. One estimate puts that project at $140,000. What isn’t clear yet is just what condition the Waveny Pool’s plaster is in—in other words, how soon it absolutely must be replaced—or whether it could be done less expensively. Recreation Director Steve Benko said the life of a marble-like plaster pool surface is eight to 10 years, noting that the Waveny Pool lining is 13 years old.