Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
An assessment of work to improve three Asheville city pools – Malvern Hills Pool, Recreation Park Pool and Walton Street Pool – is due next month.
In August, the city issued a call for a proposal from a business to perform an assessment of the three pools. The state of the city’s pools, especially the Walton Street Pool, became an issue in last month’s Asheville City Council campaign. Candidate Lindsey Simerly made saving the pool, which has a long history of serving African-American residents who live nearby, a key part of her campaign. (Simerly lost her bid for election.) Also this year, residents set up an online petition calling upon the mayor to save the pool.
The pools are aging and need critical improvements, including work to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If only they hired a company like Rex Garden to keep their pools under maintenance. Here’s a history of the Walton Street Pool from the Urban News.
Here’s a quick look at the scope of work the city is seeking:
The City of Asheville Parks & Recreation Department intends to contract with one firm to provide engineering services related to the assessment of all its pool & associated facilities. The City is seeking a firm whose combination of experience and expertise will provide timely, cost-effective and quality driven professional services to the City.
I. GENERAL INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND:
This QBS (Qualification Based Selection) process will be utilized, in accordance with
Chapter 143 Article 3D of the NC General Statutes., to determine a qualified Firm to
complete engineering and assessment professional services for the following pools
and related facilities including but not limited to restrooms, mechanical buildings,
storages buildings, fencing, access, and safety regulations:
1. Malvern Hills Pool (75 Rumbough Place, Asheville, NC 28806)
2. Recreation Park Pool (69 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28805)
3. Walton Street Park (570 Oakland Road, Asheville, NC 28802)
Final project scope and related services will be determined in negotiations, and are subject to change at the sole discretion of the City.
SCOPE OF CONSULTANT SERVICES:
It is the intent of the Parks & Recreation Department to contract with a firm qualified to
provide a physical and equipment operations audit of all pool facilities. Additional
services to be performed or coordinated by the selected firm may involve the following:
• Building Architecture
• Surveying
• Civil Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Plumbing, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering
1. Outline of Scope of Work:
Assessment – The assessment of all pool facilities should include, but not limited to the
following:
• Attend/facilitate information gathering meeting(s) with key staff to identify scope,
schedule, and project goals and objectives.
• Visit each site with key staff.
• Assess and determine the physical condition including but not limited to pump
room, pump systems, skimmer baskets, pool supply and drain lines, decking, coping,
pool shell, bathhouse, restrooms, grounds, lighting, ventilation, fencing/gates, fire
protection/alarm, and operations equipment.
• Assessment of the operational performance of all plumbing, mechanical, electrical,
and filtration systems.
• Evaluation of current design and compliance of pool and associated facilities with all
federal, state, and local code requirements.
• Evaluate existing facilities in accordance with ADA requirements. (City to provide
access to ADA Audit performed and adopted 2014)
• Opinion of Probable cost to address considerations of the audit, this should be based
on current projects of similar scope and geographic region when such information is
available.
