WEST POTTSGROVE >> Just as the latest summer heat wave has sent temperatures into the triple digits, it was announced suddenly that the West Pottsgrove Community Pool will be closed for the rest of the summer due to financial problems.
“Earlier this week the township was notified by Bennington Pool Services (the private operator the West Pottsgrove Community Pool) that they will be closing the pool to the public for the remainder of the season due to financial reasons,” Township Manager Craig Lloyd wrote on a post Monday on the township’s Facebook page.
“Township staff did meet with the operator to discuss alternate options and explored other options to try and keep the pool open for the remainder of the season,” Lloyd wrote. “However, given the juncture of time that we are at with regard to the swimming season and the time and other resources required to get the pool properly set up and staffed, the township decided that we would not be able to take over the operations for the rest of the season,” Lloyd wrote.
“It’s really a shame that this happened in the middle of a heat wave,” said Commissioners’ Chairman Steve Miller. “I’m sorry for the members who were deserted in the hottest part of the summer.”
“The pool operator also informed us that he will be contacting members on what they will need to do to get a refund of their paid membership fees,” Lloyd wrote.
According to a July 20 post on the pool’s Facebook page, the pool closed due to “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Members looking for a refund are being instructed to send an email with their personal registration information – first and last name, email address, date of membership purchase, type of membership purchased, membership price, names and ages of those on membership and what form of payment used and a copy of the receipt attached – to wpgswimclubrefund@gmail.com.
“We will take this information and confirm with our database,” read information posted on Friday. “We will begin the process tonight and contact you if we need clarifications. You should expect your reimbursement within a few weeks.”
Matthew McMaster, president of Bennington Pool Services, said a combination of factors led to the decision, not the least of which was fewer members than the year before.
“Last year we were in the newspaper almost every week and we had a lot of momentum,” he said.
Also, this is the first year the company took on the responsibility for maintenance. “And we made some investments in improvements the pool and we made some repairs, we leased out the snack bar and we had some day camps involved, but we can’t reduce staff to make the numbers work because then the pool is not safe,” McMaster said.
Nevertheless, he said the pool had fewer members this year than last year.
“I feel bad that this pool now has three strikes against it. It closed down as Colonial, under the YMCA and now under us,” said McMaster.
On the pool’s Facebook page, members expressed disappointment and curiosity about the cause.
“So sad and with this heat wave coming in this week-end… so unfair,” posted Jaime Serrano.
“The pool is closed for the rest of the summer?” asked Jaime Heller.
“Very sad for the members,” Jessica Warrick posted.
Miller said the township’s next step is to have the pool inspected.
“From what I understand, water that was once crystal clear has turned green, and there were some other issues with the pool, so we want to take a look and make sure everything is up to speed,” Miller said.
He said he has been in contact with other township commissioners “and we will discuss where we go from here at our next meetings.”
At least one commissioner, Pete LaRosa, is not yet ready to give up on the pool.
“Really, its just a beautiful facility,” said LaRosa, who championed previous attempts to keep the pool open.
LaRosa said he has already been in contact with other pool companies that might be interested in taking over the operation of the township pool next year.
“It’s such a great pool. There has to be somebody who wants to run it,” he said.
“Both the Township staff and officials agree that we should now begin planning on how we are going to proceed with pool operations for next season and going forward,” wrote Lloyd.
The opening and maintenance of the township pool has been fraught for years.
The township took over the pool from the former Colonial Pool Swim Club in 2010 after the club was unable to pay its property taxes.
Operated since 1968 as a private, nonprofit community pool, the Colonial fell behind on its tax payments and finally fell victim to a combination of age, a slow economy and more homes with their own pools in their backyards.
The township paid $71,000 in back taxes and unpaid bills to take over the pool in 2010.
The township also put as least $250,000 into refurbishing the pool facility by the time it re-opened in August, 2011.
Since then, it has struggled to break even.
For two years – 2012 and 2013 – the YMCA of Pottstown took over the operation of the pool, a service for which the township paid about $27,000.
The YMCA brought its summer camp to the pool, as well as other local summer camps, as an inexpensive way to provide summer swimming opportunities for local children.
In 2014, after a change of personnel at the YMCA, the township only had to pay $10,000 for the YMCA to run the pool, but membership, and revenues, plummeted.
Whetstone confirmed that pool membership went from 38 non-Y members to nine in 2014.
In 2015, in a series of almost comical votes, the board of commissioners voted to open and/or close the pool several times before finally deciding to hire Bennington to run the pool for the township – something the company insisted it could do at a profit.
Now the township commissioners must once again face the prospect of deciding whether to close the pool or find another operator.
