HARTFORD — The cost of building new pools in Hartford could top $3.2 million, according to an architect hired by the town to design a replacement for the 52-year-old Sherman Manning Pools.
Construction of pools, spray decks and a new entryway recommended for the facility located on the Hartford High School campus would cost $2.9 million, Thomas Scarlata, a Boston-based architect, told members of the Hartford Parks & Recreation Commission and the town’s Pool Advisory Committee on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, soft costs — which include permitting, surveying and additional engineering — would come at an additional $379,000, Scarlata predicted.
Officials say the effort, while expensive, would deliver Hartford a pool facility that could last at least a decade without major maintenance. It also comes with new amenities, including dedicated lap pools and areas for a slide and spray features.
“The pool that’s there right now with a diving board and a straight slide was enough for me to keep active and have a good time in the pool throughout the course of the summer,” said Scott Hausler, director of Hartford Parks & Recreation.
However, children today are looking for a different experience, he said, adding that’s likely why attendance was dropping before the Sherman Manning Pools closed two summers ago. The pools were closed after Selectboard members learned they would need $320,000 to repair a leaky gutter and pool shell to stay open.
Scarlata on Thursday presented two options for new pools, both of which would be built over the existing pool structure to save on both demolition and earthwork costs, he said.
The first option would include a four-lane, 75-foot lap pool with what Scarlata called an adjoining “splashdown area” that could catch swimmers coming down a slide.
Connecting to those would be a zero-entry pool, a type of pool that gradually gets deeper and allows people to enter without having to rely on stairs or ladders. Separate from those would be a “spray deck” with water features for children to play in.
The second option would include the lap pool but have a connecting recreational pool with stairs. Rather than a spray deck, the design calls for an unattached zero-entry pool with water features.
Scarlata said the separate pool would require more lifeguards but allow the town to keep at least one pool open after “an incident” that would require employees to shock and clear out the main one.
In both options, the sides of the pool facility could be lined with shading, such as trestles.
Scarlata also proposes constructing a new entry building with unisex toilets and showers for pool users, which would reduce conflicts with students and athletes using the nearby athletic house.
The Selectboard is expected to discuss both options, and decide whether put the construction on the Town Meeting warning Jan. 9. If voters were to approve a bond, construction could be complete in 2021, Scarlata said.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.