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Feasibility Study for Lake County Community Facility

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Lake County Additional Information

FAQ's, previous audits, and more can be found here.

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Feasibility Study for Lake County Community Facility
Lake County Additional Information

Aquatic Center Document Library

Permanent Closure of the Lake County Aquatic Center
PDF (92.58 KB)
2020 Audit of the Lake County Aquatic Center
PDF (7.95 MB)
Presentation of the 2020 Aquatic Center Audit
PDF (7.49 MB)
2003 Audit of the Lake County Aquatic Center
PDF (751.29 KB)
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Lake County Government and Lake County School District
PDF (704.66 KB)
RFP: Feasibility Study for Lake County Community Facility
PDF (246.22 KB)

Aquatic Center Document Library

Permanent Closure of the Lake County Aquatic Center
PDF (92.58 KB)
2020 Audit of the Lake County Aquatic Center
PDF (7.95 MB)
Presentation of the 2020 Aquatic Center Audit
PDF (7.49 MB)
2003 Audit of the Lake County Aquatic Center
PDF (751.29 KB)
Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between Lake County Government and Lake County School District
PDF (704.66 KB)
RFP: Feasibility Study for Lake County Community Facility
PDF (246.22 KB)

FAQ

When was the pool originally constructed and what updates have been made since that time?
What happened with the 2019 Aquatic Center Audit?
Why was the pool closed in December 2020?
What happened between December 2020 and April 2021 when the pool was permanently closed?
Why can’t you just repair or replace the liner and gutter?

FAQ

When was the pool originally constructed and what updates have been made since that time?
Below is an outline of the original construction date and remodels that have taken place at the Lake County Aquatic Center:
a. 1975 Original construction
b. 2004 Partial remodel including liner, HVAC system, filtration, locker rooms and front office
c. 2013 DE Tank retrofit
d. 2016 Whirlpool remodel
e. 2017 Shallow end light replacement
What happened with the 2019 Aquatic Center Audit?
In 2019 Lake County Government and the Recreation Advisory Board invested in a full audit of the Lake County Aquatic Center. The details of building conditions that were identified in that audit can be read here:
https://www.lakecountyco.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif5...
The audit calls for a variety of repairs, replacements, and upgrades to take place over the next 10 years. Some items that have been addressed since 2019 include replacement of electrical, sauna upgrades, completion of a gas study, removal of abandoned systems and HVAC modifications.
The audit calls for an additional $ 3,113,815.00 in repairs and replacements to be made in the next 3 years.
Why was the pool closed in December 2020?
The Lake County Aquatic Center pool is a liner system comprised of an aluminum shell covered with a PVC liner. Failures in the inlet and gutter system, as well as liner damage can cause water to become trapped between the two layers. This happened in 2013 and repairs were able to be made by Specialized Pool and Spa.
Water started to collect under the liner in the deep end of the pool once again in the summer of 2020, and Chester Pools (the original installer) was scheduled to come make repairs. Once on site, an inlet valve was identified as the possible failure point by Chester Pools. Repairs were made in August 2020 and the pool reopened after a 12-day closure. These repairs failed immediately and cost $5,165.00.
Water started to become trapped between the liner and shell again almost immediately after the repair. Chester Pools was consulted and gave the following statement, “Unfortunately it is simply just time to replace the pool liner. You folks have done a good job extending the life of what you have, but at some point, there is not a way to weld new liner to old, and re-seal the inlets and compression bars.”. For a second opinion, staff met with Specialized Pool and Spa who made the 2013 repairs and were told Specialized would do no further work. They gave this statement, “Recommend replacing entire pool. Pool needs to be re-built. Bubbling will not stop and will continue due to the integrity of the pool.”.
Staff next reached out to Councilman Hunsaker who were the aquatics professionals on the 2019 Aquatic Center Audit team to see if there were others in the industry that the County might reach out to. Councilman Hunsaker recommended connecting with RenoSys who does work on pool liners. RenoSys was contacted and advised the County to discontinue use of the pool immediately to avoid causing further damage or added costs to any potential repair that might be made to the pool.
What happened between December 2020 and April 2021 when the pool was permanently closed?
After a consultation with RenoSys they gave extremely helpful step-by-step instructions on how to make repairs to the inlet system and sent the needed caulking and parts. The pool was partially drained, water trapped between the liner and shell was removed, and repairs were made by staff and a licensed plumber to the pool inlets. While refilling the pool to test repairs, a valve was accidentally left open, causing an overflow and water damage to the mechanical room.
The repairs needed in the mechanical room were completed and covered by the County’s insurance, but added and additional 8 weeks to the overall repair timeline.
Once the mechanical room repairs were made and pumps were turned back on allowing water to circulate, water began to accumulate under the liner immediately. After a week of operations, it was clear that the repairs had failed. During this time Parkville Water was generous to bring in their leak detection system to try and help identify the leak. This, however, was unsuccessful.
Staff shut down the system and partially drained the pool once again to check previous work, add extra calking and replace additional inlets. It was during this time (when the pool was not circulating) that staff noticed water loss, estimated at 3+ inches over a 48-hour period.
After completing the additional attempt at repairs and restarting the system it was clear that water was pooling even more between the liner and shell, was accumulating faster and rapidly becoming worse.
RenoSys was contacted again to see if there were any additional solutions and the following response was received, “Based on this extraordinary effort and what we understand about aluminum pools and how they age and eventually fail due to invasive corrosion, you may have exhausted every available option for running the pool using its original parts; the most impactful being the gutter. There simply are no repairs that can be made to this part of the pool, and all signs lead to this being the route to which water is migrating behind the membrane.”.
At this time, with no further repair options, staff consulted with the BOCC about the situation. It was during this time when the pool was sitting idle, and all circulation systems turned off that staff again noticed active water loss. This discovery caused great concern for potential water damage to the LCIS building itself and the decision was made to permanently close the facility as the County was unable to ensure safe operations related to the whole facility of LCIS. Without the ability to control the large amounts of water that were being lost, and not knowing where that water was migrating to it was not responsible to continue operations knowing that damage could occur to the Intermediate School building to which the pool is attached.
Why can’t you just repair or replace the liner and gutter?
With the exact point of the leak unknown and no external leaks being detected, (EX: tear in the liner) the liner, shell, and gutter would likely need to be fully replaced. The exact cause of the leak and water accumulation will be unknown until cutting into the existing system. In addition to the replacement of these structures there are a variety of systems that would need to be brought up to code in the facility including; ADA compliance, Colorado Department of Health and Environment Swimming Pool and Mineral Bath Codes, Model Aquatic Health Code regulations, and changes requested by the Leadville-Lake County Fire Marshall.
In addition to these items, there is a need to replace end of life equipment and bring the aged facility up to modern day standards for the safety of both staff and patrons. The estimated cost to do this is 2.5 million. For more information on these costs please view the 2019 Aquatic Center Audit located on the Aquatics page of the Recreation website. With this high price tag, the pool needs to be prioritized by the BOCC in consideration with other large capital projects, needs and expenses of the County in mind.
Why is the Recreation Master Plan the next step being taken by the County and not a renovation or replacement of the Aquatic Center?
While the Aquatic Center has long been a cornerstone of recreation in Lake County, it is important to understand the holistic needs of the County and its citizens. The most recent Recreation Master Plan is from 2002, and while there are likely to be similar priorities from that plan reflected in the new 2021 Master Late Updated: 7.19.21 @ 3:00pm Plan it is important for the BOCC and County staff to understand current community needs and plan for those with sustained maintenance and repair included.
Staff anticipate that aquatics will be high ranking in this process but that other needs such as a community center, trails, open space management, grooming, Harrison Ballfield, curling, Dutch Henry, maintenance/replacement of existing facilities, and restrooms (just to name a few) are likely to come up as priorities.
Once a broader understanding of community desire has been assessed we can plan for how these might be implemented along with other County priorities such as the Justice Center and Wildfire Mitigation. Should the community desire a new, modern aquatics facility costs are estimated at between $10-13 million. A community center could raise this cost exponentially.
The County has done great work to understand current priorities and how we need to leverage and prioritize resources to pursue each. Setting realistic priorities may not be popular, but it is necessary to move forward thoughtfully and in a way that allows for planning for the upkeep of County facilities. Dedicated investment planning will also be needed in the years to come so that we can better maintain valued assets in the community.
Other community partners are experiencing similar challenges and making important decisions regarding strategic planning. Decisions made by and with partners like the Lake County School District, the City of Leadville, Freeport McMoran, and Colorado Mountain College, should be strategic and may weave together with future County projects. All entities are in close communication regarding these moving parts and are determined to make wise and efficient decisions for our community. During upcoming BOCC conversations regarding the budget, the full picture of needs and priorities will be illustrated.
What is the timeline for the new Master Plan to be completed?
Bids for the Master Plan project were opened at a BOCC meeting on July 6, 2021. A review committee will present a recommended contractor to the BOCC on July 22, 2021. Once selected a contract will be executed as quickly as possible and the project could commence as soon as August 1, 2021.
To be sure to have a thorough process and to conduct community outreach and education, along with County asset assessment, the timeline requested in the RFP was 9-12 months. The Master Plan should be complete by August 2022 (hopefully sooner) and the community and County can begin to plan for the implementation of objectives as detailed in the Master Plan.
What will the Master Plan include?
For information on what the Master Plan will include please visit the County website and review the RFP:
https://www.lakecountyco.com/recreation/pages/empl...
Where can I get more information?
Recreation Director, Amber Magee is happy to answer questions anytime. Please stop by the Office at 505 Harrison Avenue, Room 5, email amagee@co.lake.co.us or call her at 719-486-7486.
Community members are also welcomed to join the monthly Recreation Advisory Board meetings, typically held the 2nd Thursday of the month. Current information on those meetings can be found here: https://www.lakecountyco.com/recreationadvisory-bo...
How do I get involved in Master Planning?
For those interested in participating in the Master Planning process please email Amber Magee at amagee@co.lake.co.us or call 719-486-7486 to be added to the email list which will keep you up to date.

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