Tuesday, Feb, 4, 2014 • Recreation authority board visits possible pool sites
Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014 edition of the Lassen County Times.
Three members of the newly formed Honey Lake Valley Recreation Authority, members of the public and the media met at Roosevelt Pool at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28 to take a field trip to the top three proposed sites for a community swimming pool.
Outside the old Roosevelt Pool site, Susanville City Administrator Jared Hancock calls the meeting of the Honey Lake Valley Recreation Authority to order Tuesday, Jan. 28 as authority members Nicholas McBride, Brian Wilson and David Meserve look on.Jared Hancock, the executive director of the authority, called the meeting to order. Board members Brian Wilson, Nicholas McBride and David Meserve attended the meeting. Board member Larry Wosick was unable to attend and board member Jim Chapman had another meeting to attend.
The afternoon began with a tour of the old Roosevelt Pool. Those attending the meeting were asked to sign a release before entering the facility. Hancock also provided face masks for participants due to the presence of mold in the facility. In addition, he advised caution due to the wet floors caused by a leak in the geothermal piping at the site.
Participants visit the basement in the Roosevelt Pool building. City Administrator Jared Hancock said the floor was wet due to a recently discovered geothermal leak.As the participants walked around the building, Hancock said vandalism has been a problem. City staff has boarded many windows to make it more difficult to get into the building. He said at one time the pool was nearly filled with debris.
He pointed out there is daylight coming through the roof in the attic and very little in the building is up to code. He also said there is structural damage to the building and advised caution as the group visited the observation area above the pool.
Participants talk about the pluses and minuses of the proposed Credence High School site during the Tuesday, Jan. 28 tour.While the debate continues about who would be responsible for the demolition of the facility should that decision be made, Hancock said the abatement of the old pool will have to be completed regardless of which site is finally selected or who will pay for it.
Participants then moved to the Credence High School site.
As a safety precaution, city crews removed some of the stucco siding from the western side of the old Roosevelt Pool building and boarded the windows to reduce vandalism. City Administrator Jared Hancock said at one time the pool was nearly full of debris thrown into it by trespassers.Hancock said there are a number of problems with the site — apparently owned by the Susanville Elementary School District, used by the high school and leased to Lassen Community College.
The building on the property could be used as part of the pool complex or it could be torn down should the site be selected. One concern expressed by a member of the public was the steep slope on one end of the property and how that might affect the location of a pool. There also were concerns about the foundation and basement of an old school building on the site.
Closed more than a decade ago, the old Roosevelt Pool site has fallen into disrepair and has suffered numerous instances of vandalism.Hancock said all those issues would be addressed as the top three sites receive a greater review.
The participants then traveled to the Mesa Street site owned by the county. The 6.4-acre site is comprised of two parcels located in a quiet, residential neighborhood.
City Administrator Jared Hancock dons a protective mask before leading a tour of the old Roosevelt Pool site. The masks were necessary due to the health hazards posed by mold at the facility. Participants had to sign a waiver before entering the facility that’s been closed for about a decade.Around 5 p.m. the group visited the Sierra Pacific Industries parcel adjacent to Riverside Park.
No decisions have been made regarding the possible location of the pool, and Hancock said if one of these sites was deemed inappropriate, one of the lower-ranked sites could move up in the ranking for greater consideration.
