Norris Center pool might not reopen until January

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act has established new safety measures and guidelines for pools — and a flood of paperwork for states issuing permits for pool upgrades.

The Norris Recreation Center pool on the St. Charles East High School campus finds itself in that waiting game now, as work on general maintenance, and mechanical and safety upgrades is on hold until a state permit is issued.

Center officials and members were hoping that this year's maintenance work could be completed by mid-November, but the permit has not been issued.

“The work will take an estimated four to six weeks, once we have the permit in hand,” said Jon Monken, the Norris Recreation Center director. “We are hearing that with the Virginia Graeme Act, there are 300 pools statewide applying for permits.

“And when we have an architectural change in a plan, that proposal has to be resubmitted and you cycle back to the start of the permit process.”

Monken speculated that, with the holiday season falling into the work time frame, the pool might not reopen until January.

The pool safety act became law in 2008, about six years after the tragic death of Graeme Baker, the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker III, who was trapped under water by a spa drain.

“The law changed the codes for all pools, particularly about how the drain is attached,” Monken said. “Our center is 35 years old, so about 18 months ago we were putting a game plan together with a capital inspection, and as the architectural firm did the walk-through, they just said it would be a good time to do all of the work to get up to code.”

The Norris Center pool has been painted several times and undergone filter replacements, but this current project includes a refurbishing of the pool deck, a new heating and filtration system, and a dehumidification system.

Work crews outside of the center are working on a separate room that will hold the dehumidification system, Monken said.

High school swim team members are using the St. Charles North High School pool, while swim lessons and adult swim sessions for center members are being held at the Delnor Health and Wellness Center.

“Delnor has been very cooperative with us,” Monken said. “But their members use our pool during those times when they are cleaning their pool.”

The St. Charles School Board last summer approved issuing up to $1.6 million in bonds for the pool upgrades and a new intercom for the recreation center.