Pool or No Pool?

SEA ISLE CITY – City administration held a town hall meeting June 29 for residents to discuss options to repurpose the municipality’s former school building, at 4501 Park Ave.
The structure, constructed in 1971, served as the location for a variety of recreational and sports programs since Sea Isle City children started attending Ocean City schools in 2012, as a cost-saving move.
The meeting was a follow-up to a June 11 presentation made to City Council June 11, by Katherine Custer, Sea Isle City’s director of Community Services Public Relations/Recreation/Tourism, who stressed all possibilities were only concepts, and nothing would be decided without multiple opportunities for resident input and airing of options.
At the June 11 meeting, residents were supportive of renovating the building, which does not meet Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood elevation standards for enhanced use as a recreational center. They seemed divided as to whether a pool should be included (http://bit.ly/2XsrDDq).
Business Administrator George Savastano briefed over 100 people on the options being considered. They are:
* Renovate the existing facility for about $ 2 million, the maximum allowable based on 50% of the school building’s value because of regulations associated with FEMA flood standards problem.
* Build a recreation facility without an indoor pool for about $13-$16 million.
* Build a recreation facility with an indoor pool, which would increase overall costs to about $17-20 million, and also require annual maintenance and staffing estimated between $500,000-$1 million.
Comments echoed those made June 11. They ranged from perspectives that a pool was an expensive facility to maintain, to a pool in Sea Isle City would not only be a welcome amenity for residents, but also serve to position the resort as a premier tourist destination.
There seemed to be stronger support for the indoor pool than what was expressed through public comments June 11. A comment called the pool a “luxury.” It drew sustained applause.
Numerous residents cited the difficulties they and their families faced in traveling to a pool within the county, and once there, coped with crowded facilities and limited hours. 
At the end of the exchange, Savastano emphasized that no decision was anywhere near completion, and residents would be asked for continued feedback and suggestions as specific details emerged on cost and renovation plans.
One of the near-term steps is an online survey that would be made available for residents to express their position on the overall direction renovations should take, and whether those renovations should include a pool.
To contact Camille Sailer, email csailer@cmcherald.com.