Council to select consultant to study pool

It is anticipated that at tonight’s Chambersburg Town Council meeting, the borough will select the new consultant to study the Memorial Park Pool and present recommendations to council sometime next year.

The budget to pay for the consultant was approved by town council on July 13, and up to $58,000 was set aside for this study.

Borough manager Jeffrey Stonehill said “No one is suggesting that we want to shutter the Memorial Park Pool. Quite the contrary, town council is moving ahead with a commitment of up to $58,000 of capital money to hire an aquatics engineering firm to study ways to preserve this important community asset for the next generation.”

According to Recreation Superintendent Guy Shaul, “our public pool is one of the largest, in terms of gallons in central Pennsylvania. It is also a large and complex machine, much hidden below the concrete and behind walls. Only a qualified certified engineer is capable of evaluating and determining the cost of extending the life of this community asset built over 45 years ago.”

A specialist will study the condition of acres of steel piping, a complex drainage system, concrete decking, sand filter systems, the pumps which keep the system under pressure, the chlorine gas storage and injection system, the plumbing and electrical systems in the buildings and throughout the complex as well as mandatory building and accessibility cede improvements.

On Sept. 30, the recreation department held a pre-bid meeting with four aquatic engineering and design firms to review the existing condition and existing studies for the Memorial Park Pool. A copy of the published request for proposals is available on the borough’s website.