Grand Opening of the Pool

Well, officially the pool opened this afternoon at 3:30 PM. I was not there to watch a lot of grandkids frolic, nor did I witness the first OFFICIAL entrant into those cool waters. Yesterday, the Sarasota County Health Department (those folk with challenged spelling ability) checked off, and it would be only the Town of Longboat Key left to please. In speaking with our Board Vice President, and a soon to be elected new board member Mark Hullinger (whom I credit with doing the most to salvage this project), I learned that we failed in the morning for a "trip hazard", but hasty repairs were made and after lunch it finally passed.

Mark informed me that the children thought the water was still "too cold" at 83 degrees, so Mark went and boosted the temperature to 85. Today was rather cool, and last night the water was actually warmer than the outside temperature. As I draft this blog post, it's only 49 degrees outside, but considering that this is WINTER here in Florida, complaints tend to fall on deaf ears amongst my northern resident friends.

This being a three day weekend (President's Day on Monday), I'm sure there'll be a number of people using the facility the next several days, but I have no reason to worry - just like this morning, I rather doubt anybody else will be swimming at oh-dark-hundred hours. The next challenge will be getting that oak tree that drops leaves in copious amounts on the pool deck and into the water resolved. If it isn't one battle with the Town, it'll be another.

Winding Oaks Pool has A.D.D.

Well, the pool is "done" but we still can't use it. It has A.D.D., which in this case stands for Another Damn Delay. So, what has happened since my last blog - well, a comedy of errors for one thing. The fencing team (clearly not olympic quality) managed to install the handrails on the wheelchair ramp too high, which means they'll flunk inspection. The restrooms are not yet completed, so the health department will not allow an occupancy permit by Sarasota county. The lights in the bathrooms are on a "motion sensitivity" switch of some sort, which turns them on and off when somebody enters or leaves the room - which would work with the old fashioned bulbs, but we installed "energy saving" bulbs which apparently don't work with the switch installed. Oh, and the diaper changing stations have arrived but yet to be installed. Some neighbors are already complaining about the lights shining into their windows - the old pool lights are so far in the distant history that folks forgot what it was like, so complaints are fresh again. The solution will be lower wattage bulbs, which I believe falls under Plan D (for dimmer, not dumber).

The gas line was finally found (it had been disabled two years ago), and today there are plumbers at the site making an effort to hook it up to the pool heater. The water temperature is currently very cold - but the water has at least been "balanced" as to its chemical balance. Maybe, just maybe, in three or four days (provided the heater gets hooked up and works to warm the pool) we'll be able to sneak over and swim, but of course that would be unofficial swimming.

The picture notes that the old siding has been removed and new siding is still awaiting installation, and this project has taken on a two steps forward, one step back, track. Our pool committee leader now sends out emails talking not of "Plan B" but is moving past Plan C, D, and perhaps E might be the ticket. Grading has been accomplished (note dirt against wall in photo) and a second dumpster is on site, already half filled with debris. The project keeps growing, so perhaps another "assessment" will come down the pike, as we tear out another wooden ramp and replace with concrete so that wheel chairs which get to the pool deck on the ramp seen, will be able to get up an additional ramp to the yet unfinished restrooms.

A lot of this has to do with our wonderful Federal government rules, which forced us to replace the old pool with one which conforms to current codes - in 1988 when this pool building and pool were constructed, there were no requirements for things like diaper changing stations - and 23 years ago we might have had residents with children. Now our diapers all are Depends, and our new wheel chair ramp needs the rails to be installed at the correct height. We had to demolish and remove the old pool, but the project then required that not only the new pool, but the old pool building be brought up to current code. Oh well, just another exercise in "just add money" in addition to "just add water".

New "completion date" is said to be by month end. We'll believe that when we see it.

UPDATE: Ten days have passed, and nothing more accomplished - these must be the "horse latitudes" of tropical stillness. The gas line is in, but after four years of exposure the elements, the ignition system on the pool heater corroded and a new "platinum plug" has to be found and installed. As I leave for my cruise, I wonder will I come back to progress or more A.D.D.

The Perpetual Pool Project

Today, the cement trucks were expected to arrive, but of course they didn't, because this is the infamous Winding Oaks Pool Project. Disappointment and delay seem to have been the bywords for this on again, off again, costly project. It involved one arguably incompetent "engineer" suggested by the management company. The engineer was eventually fired, and the referring management company subsequently went south as well. The new engineer had to almost rewrite the entire project due to the many mistakes found - mistakes we homeowners paid for of course. I hope we remember this when it comes time to retire certain members of the homeowners association board.

Aside from this being "three years in the making" of which we've personally waited 14 months and counting, you can see that it is actually closer to completion than starting. I chose to use a larger picture which shows in detail the vapor barrier and the metal lattice work awaiting the pour of the initial "lift" of cement. A finish layer will then follow for painting. The pictures are taken from end to end, along the length of the new pool. The new pool is longer than the old, but not as deep. It does slope down to 4.5 feet where two defined lap lanes are established. Elizabeth hopefully will be able to get back to swimming after the first of the year, as that is one exercise she enjoys without too much pain.

The pool is convenient, I'll give you that, as it's just thru the recently thinned out trees behind our condo. Newer members of our board insisted on spending the money necessary to clean up the "park" area around the pool, and it's so much nicer now. In several months, I'll try to report on the fully completed project, which comes with several newer features like a "shade structure" which is a huge awning at one end of the pool. One of the residents has done a thorough job of chronicling the progress these past several months. His reports are on YouTube under Winding Oaks News Service or the like.

I'm ready for the "just add water" stage, but for now the signs that say "no diving" really have a consequence should one try.