Committee Chooses Option for Cheshire Community Pool

The Cheshire Community Pool Evaluation Committee last week voted to recommend a steel tension membrane structure as the option to be recommended to the Town Council as a permanent solution to ensure that the Cheshire Community Pool remain a year round facility. 

The preliminary cost is expected to be $3 million. This structure is expected to reduce expenses and increase revenues resulting in a significant reduction in the town’s pool subsidy, according to the committee.

"The steel tension membrane structure was selected after extensive review of as many as 11 options, including closing the facility and having it only open in the summer," the committee said in a release. 

By last month, the committee had narrowed down the options to three: another, improved bubble, the steel tension membrane and a polycarbonate - greenhouse type structure. 

"The committee considered the primary needs of the pool, including affordability, reliability and to meet the needs of the community related to use of the pool – recreational, lessons, physical therapy and competitive swimming," the committee said.

The steel tension membrane structure was selected "because it is reasonable and reliable and will meet all the needs of the community," according to the committee. "Steel tension membrane structures are widely used for swimming pools and made with a permanent steel frame and a durable tension fabric membrane enclosure.

"One of the qualities that makes the Cheshire Community Pool an asset to the community is its size. As an eight lane 50 meter pool, the facility can accommodate many activities at once," it said. "The size of the pool also posed a challenge to the committee to find a feasible structure that could reliably serve the community. After thorough review of all the options considered, the committee determined that the steel tension membrane structure meets all of these criteria that were evaluated by the Committee.

That criteria included:

• Staying open year round;

• Increase potential pool-generated revenue, currently about $600,000 a year;

• Choosing an option that is "durable and reliable and are built to withstand the elements including heavy snow loads."