Diving right in
By KALEY CONNER
PLAINVILLE -- A crowd of young children formed at the gate to the newly constructed swimming pool Monday afternoon, gazing longingly at the clear blue water.
The good news is they don't have much longer to wait. The pool will open for its first summer season at 4:30 p.m. today.
"Kids have been plastered to the fence," said
Kelli Hansen, mayor of Plainville, with a laugh. "And adults."
The pool, located at 100 S. Section Line, features two zero-depth entry zones that will serve as a swim area for children and a concrete island where visitors can find shade. Fountains of water shoot up from the cement outside the pool, and colorful buckets continually will pour water on swimmers standing underneath.
There's also a large water slide that will end in a "splash zone" rather than sending riders into the pool, and a small one for the children in the shape of a clown fish.
That fish will be the new pool's "mascot," and the results of a naming contest will be announced soon, Hansen said.
The pool ranges from zero-depth to more than 11-feet and also features a diving board, a basketball goal and a removable volleyball net. There's also a new concession building and restroom/shower houses.
As the summer gets into full swing, there likely will be water aerobics classes, and maybe even organized volleyball matches, Hansen said.
"One of the biggest things we were after was a way to make it more family-oriented," Hansen said. "With our old pool, we had the separate baby pool, separated by a fence, so a lot of families with older and younger kids, it was kind of difficult for them to bounce back and forth."
The $1.8 million project was funded by a 1-cent sales tax
Plainville voters approved in August. That sales tax is scheduled to sunset in
2020, or as soon as the facility is paid for.
Construction started in September, with the goal of opening Memorial Day weekend ultimately coming to fruition.
The project's completion will be celebrated with a community party this evening. The pool will be open from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., with a dedication ceremony at 4 p.m.
A free barbecue will follow at 5:30 p.m. in the adjacent playground, and an outdoor movie will wrap up the celebration.
There is no admission charge to access the facility. Plainville residents currently contribute $1 each month to support the city-operated pool.
Summer hours, weather permitting, will be from 1 to 5 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 1 to 7 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays.
The city's former facility was more than 50 years old and had become difficult to maintain, Hansen said.
"It was a metal pool. The pipes were underneath the pool, so it was very hard to replace the rusty pipes that literally would spring leaks daily," she said.
The efforts were headed by a five-person parks committee. It's been a long process, but definitely will be worth the work as the temperatures keep climbing, said Mindy Workman, a member of the committee.
"I think it's going to be packed all summer long," she said. "I'm very proud of what we set out to do and that we got it accomplished. It just looks truly amazing."