Belmont's Underwood Pool Set To Open for 2013 Season

With a great deal of work and presistence from three town departments, families and individuals will have the opportunity to spend summer days and afternoons at Belmont's Underwood Pool as the town secured a number of state waivers to allow the historic outdoor public swimming "hole" to open for the 2013 season.

David Kale, who returned from a serious illness to his position as town Town Administrator, told the Belmont Board of Selectmen Monday morning, May 13, the town will also put $30,000 into a ventelation system for the filter house and to paint the pool to make it ready for the season which commencenses in late June and lasts until Labor Day weekend. 

For the second year running, Health Department Director Stefan Russakow working with the Belmont Department of Public Works Director Peter Castinino and the town's Recreation Department, received state health code variances to allow the pool to open with an inadequate filter house and without pool skimmers to name a few of the areas that the century-old pool does not meet the state's 1998 health code. 

Due to one violation, the diving board that graced the site for 100 years will not return for a second year.

Kale also warned that the town should not expect similar variances from the state in year's to come.

In the past two weeks, Belmont's annual to study and design a $4.2 million replacement pool – with a diving board, lanes for lap swimming and a beach-like entry for children and parents – a design the Boad of Selectmen approved after an intitial study that reviewed three plans that included a playing field in two.