THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 9, 1996 TAG: 9604090287
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KAREN WEINTRAUB, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The swimming pool at the Great Neck Recreation Center reopened Monday after six months of repairs.
The pool at the Bayside Recreation Center was closed the same day for similar work, but city officials promise that repairs there will take only about six weeks.
Work stretched three months longer than planned at Great Neck, City Engineer John W. Herzke said, because of a delay in obtaining parts.
The repairs were needed to lower the pool room's excess humidity, which was causing mechanical equipment in the 5-year-old building to rust.
``What you would have noticed before is that it was extremely humid and we had trouble keeping temperatures under control,'' Herzke said. ``Now you'll find when you go in there it will be very comfortable.''
All the pool's mechanical equipment was replaced, including filters, air handling units and duct work. Also, the overhead lighting system was upgraded.
The contractor, who started work in September, will not be penalized for the delays, Herzke said, because he tried his best to get the parts on time. During construction, a lift, placed too close to the edge of the drained pool, fell in. No one was injured, but several floor tiles were damaged, adding slightly to the construction time, Herzke said.
Work at Bayside is expected to be completed by June 1. The parts for the Bayside repairs are on hand and the contractor learned from the problems at Great Neck, Herzke said.
The pool at the Princess Anne Recreation Center will also be closed this summer for similar, but less extensive, repairs. Herzke said he is trying to close only one pool at a time, but may have to overlap closures at Bayside and Princess Anne to finish both pools by July 1.
Herzke said the problems with the three 25-meter pools were caused by design flaws that placed air ducts in trenches alongside the pools where they picked up excess moisture. The city has sued the architectural firm of Krummell & Associates, P.C., headed by former Planning Commission member Charles R. Krummell, who has said the problems are caused by faulty maintenance, not design.
The case is expected to go to trial this summer. In the meantime, the city will pay the full cost of the repairs, authorized at $2.1 million. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
The Great Neck Recreation Center swimming pool has been plagued
by problems since opening five years ago.
Virginia Beach has sued the architectural firm that designed the
pool and two other city pools. The city alleges that design flaws
caused unusually high humidity levels in the pool room, rusting out
mechanical equipment and pool lights. The firm says faulty
maintenance caused the problems.
The case is expected to go to trial this summer.
by CNB