Veneta Pool Construction Blog

Bricks are in!!!

2010-10-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Where's the Bricks?

2010-09-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

I just received notice that the bricks have finally been shipped. They should be here next week and we hope to have them installed within a few weeks. It's unfortunate that they couldn't be in the ground for opening day, but things were delayed at the manufacturer. Thanks again to eveyone who contributed.

GRAND OPENING!!!!

2010-06-30T11:26:00.001-07:00

The Grand Opening was a success! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and people were really excited about the new pool. We had to turn folks away later in the afternoon as we reached our maximum capacity of 170, but hopefully they were able to come back on Sunday and take advantage of the free swimming.

Thanks to everyone for all their help in putting the event together an making it such a success. The high school jazz band and the Kiwanis were great. Thanks again to eveyone for all your help!

This blog will go inactive for the time being as my focus returns to other City business. Thanks for following the construction process. I hope you've enjoyed the updates, I know I've had a good time putting it together.

The phone at the pool is now active 541-935-4390

The final product!

2010-06-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

Just a few final photos of the site. We hope to be open this Saturday, but we still have a couple of hurdles to get over. Everyone is running around trying to make it all happen and there's a million things to do, but hopefully we'll be good to go by Saturday morning.

If you've been trying to call the pool number given in the rec guide, it's not active yet. We've had a few setbacks in that department but we'll figure something out in the interim if we have to.

Now if we can just get some sun!!!

Pool To Open June 19th

2010-06-08T15:07:00.000-07:00

If all goes according to schedule, the pool will be open for business on Saturday June 19th. This is our "soft open" so that we can ease into the operations of the new facility prior to the craziness of the grand opening on June 26th. The soft opening has not been advertised at all, so for those of you following the blog, we invite you to come see the new facility before the opening day crowds.

Information of fees, schedules and other summer programs is now available in our Recreation Guide which will be widely distributed soon. The link to the right will open a copy of the Rec Guide.

2010-06-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Braving the threat of rain, the plaster guys were in town today to put the final touches on the pool. A crew from Texas spent the day feverishly spreading bright white plaster. The rains held off just long enough to allow the plaster to set. Tomorrow, we'll fill the pool with water and the pool itself will be done. Then we fire up the pumps and boilers and work out any kinks in the chemical feed and circulation systems.

This was the last major step to open the pool. It's all finishing touches from here on out. For those of you following the progress, we've held off publicizing the grand opening until we were sure, but I think its safe to say,

WE INVITE YOU TO THE GRAND OPENING OF THE VENETA COMMUNITY POOL
JUNE 26TH AT 12:30!!!

Saturdays festivities will include music, tours of the facility, and BBQ food provided by the Fern Ridge Kiwanis. Proceeds will go to providing low income scholarships for local kids to enroll in swim lessons. We will open the facility to the public FREE OF CHARGE all weekend long. Come check out the new facility and help us celebrate this great addition to our community!

I'll continue to post updates including the adopted fees and swimming lesson schedule. Also look for more details in the Summer Recreation Guide which will be available all over Veneta in the next couple weeks.

Almost done!

2010-05-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

The landscaping is done, the building is almost finished, and we are just days away from having water in the pool. We just need the rain to let up for a few days so the pool builders can lay on the final plaster inside the pool itself. After that, we fire it up. Staff has been busy with staffing and programming, as well as making sure we have all the signs, cleaning supplies, and other equipment we need on opening day. We still hope for a June 26th grand opening, but we are pretty much at the mercy of the weather at this point. I notice lots of people driving by to look at the facility so hopefully word is getting around. We will have some new signs out on Highway 126 shortly, and will start really promoting the opening as soon as we are sure of the date.

2010-05-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

We've taken the opportunity to make some improvements to the play area of the park while we had concrete contractors on site. New curbing, and ADA access and refreshed bark mulch made a major difference.

This upcoming week will be asphalt and painting. Plastering of the pool has been put off a week but hopefully wont affect our planned grand opening which is tentatively scheduled for the 26th of June.

Apply Now for Lifeguard jobs!

2010-05-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

We've had several applicants back out due to scheduling conflicts with the training session coming up this weekend (May 14-16) We still have slots open, so if you are interested, apply now. This is a great summer job starting at $8.48/hour. Applications are prescreened prior to training and hiring will take place after certification is completed.

Interested applicants should contact our Pool Manager Stacy Cornelius as soon as possible at scorneli@lane.k12.or.us

Here's some updated information regarding training schedules.

TRAINING SCHEDULE

May 6

2010-05-12T11:10:00.001-07:00

We're all busy working out the final details. The construction folks are pouring a lot of concrete and asphalt this week and it looks like everything is still on schedule. We're tying up a lot of loose ends and working out details like security systems, cash registers, chemicals and the like. It sure takes a lot to keep a pool up and going.

The City Council adopted the fee schedule for this year and we are working out scheduling and other details. All of the pool information will be included in the Summer Recreation Guide which will be available around the first week of June. I'll keep you posted as the schedule comes together.

April 28

2010-04-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

The pool site has been very busy lately. Payne construction is really pushing to finish up the project next month. The exterior of the building changes daily, and the siding going up in a couple of days time. Some people have asked why the building has a wing, or why its so high. The answer to both of these is efficiency. The pool will have passive solar assisted heating mounted on the south facing roof. Although heated with natural gas, the pool water will be pumped through tubing on the roof to absorb solar radiation and keep heating costs down. An angled roof so the sun means a low end and a high end. The building is also designed to be self cooling. There is no heating or cooling equipment in the building. The large louvers on both sides are intended to encourage air circulation by essentially creating a draft through the building.

We will be giving tours of the facility on the morning of the grand opening so people can get a little peek at whats going on behind the scenes. It's pretty exciting and a little nerve wracking that we will be opening for business soon! Everybody has been busy making sure we have what we need. We still have a lot of work to do, but it's finally becoming a reality!

Our fund raising campaign wrapped up with just over $60K in donations, most of which came from local businesses and supportive residents. Thanks to everyone who helped!

April 22

2010-04-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

You can almost smell the chlorine....

2010-04-08T18:49:00.000-07:00

We had a bit of excitement last Friday when heavy winds and saturated soils combined to bring down a large fir tree just outside the pool areas. It brought down the power lines right on top of the blue job shack with the guys inside! Luckily the transformer popped and none of the lines were live.

Heavy rains put a bit of a damper on things at the site this week, but fund raising was fast and furious as brick orders flew in to beat the March 31 due date. Siuslaw bank came through with a contribution that helped push our fund raising total to over 50K. At the pool, roofing is still underway and equipment is being moved in. Looks like we will wrap up construction by mid May. Dean Payne and his crews have done a great job of keeping things on track and on budget. On monday the City Council will consider whether it's time to set a date for a grand opening celebration. We're hoping for the saturday after school gets out.

We're getting lots of interest in life guard positions. Check out the links here and on the City's website if you're interested in lifeguarding this summer. The first round of training will begin in two weeks. Stacy Cornelius, our recreation coordinator for the last 4 years has been hired as our pool manager. Those of you who know Stacy know that she will do a great job. We've got a lot of work to do yet, but we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Lifeguards and Swim Instructors Wanted

2010-03-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

We are starting to plan the programs that will be offered for the pool this summer in hopes that we will be opening in June. We are looking for approximately 15-20 lifeguards, so if you are interested in lifeguarding, please fill out the following forms and return them to Veneta City Hall. In addition please send an email to bissa@ci.veneta.or.us with the term "Life Guard" in the subject line. Additional information and updates will be sent out by email.

Employment Application
Release Form

You must be at least 16 years old, mature, and responsible. We will provide certification training for selected individuals in May. Preference will be given to those with previous lifeguard or instructor experience. Pay will be approximately $8.48/hour dependent on experience.

Anyone wanting to teach water aerobics or other aquatics classes (must have previous instructor experience) should also contact me. Programs will be kept simple at startup, but if somebody is willing to teach what they know and wants to offer a class, drop me an email and we'll see what happens.

Roofing in the rain

2010-03-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

Weather was great for construction until last week when things turned nasty. The contractors are dealing with a lot more rain now as they assemble the roof and frame the walls. The pool is nearing completion with the tile and diving board installed and plaster should be on its way soon. As soon as the plaster is done, the pool will be filled.

Beams and walls

2010-03-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

The building is going up quick. These pics are from last week, and it's progressed a lot since then. The deck area is huge! Lots of room for relaxing in the sun. The pool tile is wrapping up and the pool itself should be finished in a couple weeks. More soon!

March 12

2010-03-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

I took a lot of great pictures last week when it was sunny, but unfortunately, they got deleted from my camera by accident. So here are this weeks photos. They've started setting more fixtures, like the diving board and the starting blocks. All of the rebar areas shown abound the pool will be concrete deck. The deck area is HUGE!! This is going to be one nice facility.

FEB 25th

2010-02-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

The Pool Company is back on the site installing hand railings and other fixtures in preperation for the pouring of the surrounding concrete next week. The building is going up fast! We should start seeing wood and other materials on the site very soon. Below is a close up of the brick. Once a sealer is applied, it should look pretty cool, or at least less "institutional". If you haven't been to the park lately, check it out, its a big change. We're starting into the process of programming pool activities and hiring of life guards and a pool manager in anticipation that we'll be open for business in June. That's still our goal.

Going up!

2010-02-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

Fast Progress

2010-02-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

The site is really starting to take shape both on the pool side and the building. The construction crews have run into a few minor hickups, delays in getting materials, problems with prefabricated shower stalls, bathroom fixture issues, but it still looks like we're on track to wrap up construction by June. If you haven't been to the site recently, swing by the park and check it out. You'll be impressed.

Feb 4: Getting down to details

2010-02-04T14:10:00.001-08:00

The building is starting to take shape now that the block is going up. We're spending time going over details with the contractors. Things like window flashing, light switch heights and other finishing touches are being worked out. No major issues so far.

Jan 25 photos

2010-02-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

Another Reason Why We Need A Pool

2010-02-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

The built environment within communities influences access to physical activity opportunities and access to affordable and healthy foods. For example, a lack of sidewalks, safe bike paths, and parks in neighborhoods can discourage children from walking or biking to school as well as from participating in physical activity.

Obesity is the the #1 leading cause of preventable death in the US.

-CDC

Budget Picture

2010-01-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Here's an updated budget picture for the pool project (see chart below). We were able to reduce the cost of the project from $3.2 to $2.6 million dollars by removing the kiddy pool and spa and performing some serious value engineering. Fundraising is creeping along, mostly in the form of bricks. We've raised over $25,000 to date, but as you can see, we are still over a hundred thousand short of being able to open the pool this summer. Considering that we originally hoped to raise over $1 million dollars, we think $100-150K is very doable.

We hope to be able to close this gap further by avoiding change orders that dip into the budgeted contingency. The City Council voted last night to issue bonds through US Bank rather than a public offering. The result of this vote is that we've saved over $37,000 in issuance costs that can now be put towards construction. Due to the structure of the debt, it looks like tax rates initially will be slightly higher than projected and will likely be around $.37 per thousand assessed value for the first few years. The council felt it was a reasonable trade off to save up front costs and the average rate over 20 years remains below $.30. For the average home, the 2009 assessed value was $131,036 which yields a tax rate of about $50/year.

We still need to work hard at fundraising to be able to open the pool. We still have plenty of room for bricks in the front walkway, and the donor board has only a handful of names donating over $1000. Please spread the word.

Thanks again to our contributors, your support is hugely important to our community!

Big Happenings

2010-01-22T10:40:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot going on at the pool site in the last couple of weeks. The slab floor of the pool building has been poured, and the contractors were lucky enough to get three days of clear weather exactly when they needed it, so the pool walls are now in place. It's really exciting to see it actually look like a pool! City staff had the same reaction, "Wow, this is a lot bigger than the old pool, it's going to be great!"

Unfortunately I was sick when they were shooting the concrete walls of the pool, buy Kyle took great pictures so you can see how it works. Pretty neat. Hope you all enjoy the pictures, there's also a video of the finished interior of the pool.

It does seem that there's a few people still don't know about this project or the fact that we still need to raise money to open the pool this summer. Please help spread the word.--Brian

Time Lapse Sequence

2010-01-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

Starting to look like a pool

2010-01-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

The pool guys from Arizona have unthawed and forming of the pool walls will continue over the next week or so in preparation for the shotcrete process to lay up the walls. The building foundation should be poured early next week after a few issues with the plumbing and rebar are resolved. There's a lot of stuff in the floor of the building, so a little extra time getting everything straight is worth the effort. Once the floor is down, the brick masons will go to work and things will really start to take shape. The pool is really starting to look like a pool and it's exciting to think how close we are.

We still need to raise money to furnish and outfit the facility. Brick orders have been trickling in at the rate of a few per week and our fundrasing total is about 80% brick sales. I just received one of the $500 custom logo bricks in the mail and it really looks sharp. Hopefully more businesses will chose to contribute.

Pool floor

2009-12-29T15:52:00.001-08:00

The floor of the pool was poured last week. I haven't heard how things went, but the floor is in place. That's a whole lot of concrete. The mechanical room has also seen more concrete. We expect the building floor and other concrete work to continue over the next couple of weeks. One piece at a time..

Tying the bar

2009-12-11T14:23:00.001-08:00

With most of the bar on site, the Pool Company spent the end of the week tying it all together in preparation for concrete on Tuesday. Imagine winding twist ties on a few thousand bags, except stooped over in a hole, in the rain, at 32 degrees, all day. I think that's pretty much what it's like.
It is moving along though.

Like molasses in January...or December as the case may be.

2009-12-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

When it rains it pours...and when it doesn't it freezes solid! That's Oregon weather for ya.
The cold weather and delays in getting the rebar for the pool bottom made for a few slow days on the job site recently. The bar has since arrived and the guys from The Pool Company are working fast to have the mesh in and ready for concrete early next week. Freezing temperatures also made earthwork difficult. Plumbing continues on the building and the surge pit walls continue to rise in preparation for concrete delivery. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and warm up enough to allow the concrete to be laid down.

Gift certificates now available!

2009-12-08T16:46:00.000-08:00

We now have gift certificates available for anyone wishing to purchase a brick form someone else. Bricks make great gifts!

Mud (the good kind)

2009-11-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

Payne construction worked over the weekend to have the rebar in place to pour concrete in the surge pit today. The pit holds all the water that is displaced by bathers and is basically a big concrete tank. At 20" thick, the slab took several truck loads to lay down. All placed by a pump truck with a boom remote controlled by the guy standing on the left edge of the pit.

Nice to finally see some concrete going in. The main pool will have bar laid down this week and the slab will be poured late this week hopefully along with the foundation for the building. Things should go pretty fast after that according to project manager Nathan Payne. At least rain and groundwater won't be so much of a worry once the slabs are in.

Forming

2009-11-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

The construction crew got a break in the weather today as they begin laying the forms for the concrete. The bottom of the pool is poured as a single slab with the walls added later through a "shot-crete" process. That should be interesting to see. Groundwater is starting to come up and over the weekend covered the white drain pipes in the bottom of the pit. John from The Pool Company came in over the weekend and pumped it down so that the guys didn't have to deal with it today. The pit with all the rebar sticking up is the surge pit, which is where all the water that is displaced gows when people get in the pool. It's basically a big concrete vault below ground level.

I'm impressed with the skill of the track hoe operator. Gerald of Payne Construction has amazing control over that huge machine. Take note of the gray pipes coming up all around the bottom of the pool. With only inches of clearance, he manages to move around and get things done without destroying anything. Fun to watch.

Next week, the slab!

Fundraising update

2009-11-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the following generous donors:

Darrell Carmen

McDougal Bros.

Fern Ridge Chamber of Commerce

Mona Lindstromberg

Janet Lewis

Linda Boothe

Heidi Lyons

John and Cheryl Podpeskar

Meg Otto

Territorial Sports Program

Ethel Smith

Mary Ann Morton

Twinkle Morton

Kelley's True Value Hardware

EGR Engineering

Craig Harbison

Sherwood Pines

David and Christine Rider

N4RG

Tim Brooker

Lee Taylor

Mark Shequin

Gambill Insurance

Underground work week of 11/16/2009

2009-11-20T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here's some photos of the excavation of the bottom of the pool. The pits are for the underdrain system to pump water out from under the pool, and for the pool drains themselves. Groundwater is still not much of an issue, though the pits do fill up at night. Notice the 14' of solid clay in the side walls. Ever wonder why things don't drain well in Veneta?

We got word this week that the surveyor mistakenly used a wrong control point for the survey. The looks around the table when he dropped this bomb were not good. You don't really want to hear that the survey is busted AFTER you dig a giant hole and plumb it in. The surveyor didn't look like he'd slept much. Thankfully, it looks like only minor changes to the plans will be needed to compensate, much to everyone's relief.

The next step to is backfill and compact the rock, and begin forming the slab for the pool bottom. Stay tuned!

Week of 11/9/2009

2009-11-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

Site Prep

2009-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

Here's a bunch of photos of the site clearing work. The pool is significantly bigger than the old one and has a much larger footprint that required removal of quite a few trees. Unfortunately, there where the best trees in the park. It really changes the character of the park. We'll be doing a lot of tree planting around the site, hopefully with something other than doug fir.

Demo video

2009-11-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here's some video of the pool being taken apart. The whole thing came down in about 20min! I wish things went up that quick.

The Problem

2009-11-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, the pool floated out of the ground in 2006 after being drained for repairs. Long story short, the contractor was late wrapping up the job and we got caught by a storm that dropped over 2 inches of rain in 24 hours. Groundwater came up, and the pool floated out of the ground by 4 feet. Pretty impressive site actually, but we all could have done without this particular physics lesson.

Here's a bit more background. What we have is a $3.2 million project. The City hired RSA to design the new pool facility and released the construction contracts in September of 2009. We had to allocate additional City funds to make it happen, but we are not ever going to see a construction environment like this again. We had to take full advantage of all the hungry contractors.

The bond measure passed by Veneta voters in 2008 (THANKS EVERYONE!) funded only 1/3 of the total project costs. To be able to release the project for construction, we had to remove the kiddy pool and spa, though they will be plumbed in so they can be added in the future. At this point, we still need an additional $250,000 to be certain we can open the pool for summer 2010.

This blog will follow the construction of the new pool and our ongoing fundraising efforts. I'll post pictures of the construction process, and give recognition to those who gratiously contribute to making this project a reality.

This is an open forum, so please feel free to post comments, questions, etc. I'll try to respond to anything that pops up.

ENJOY!

2009-11-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

New Pool Designs

2009-11-20T09:41:00.000-08:00