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Swimming pool site gets nod from tests
BY GEOFF COX STAFF WRITER
MONTEREY - "Bottom line is - it will work on our site," said Highland Recreation Commission chair Sherry Sullenberger, summarizing the report submitted by geotechnical firm Mattern and Robertson. "We've got a good site to work with."
The firm drilled four exploratory holes in the perimeter corners of the proposed swimming pool site north of the school playground in Monterey.
The shallowest hole drilled before reaching rock was 11 and a half feet, and in the deepest hole the drill was retracted after 20 feet with no stoppage.
The soil makeup is mostly fill and is suitable for the foundations of the pool with little alterations.
Concerns about whether the site is in a wetland are answered by the report, which states, "Subsurface water not encountered during drilling," on all four holes, and two include the wording, "or 24 hours after removal of auger."
The report was added to the bid package completed by Mattern and Craig, and passed along to the Virginia Outdoors Fund, which approved the package upon slight changes.
This clears the way for the commission to advertise for bids, which it will do on Oct. 4. Notice will run for two weeks and after that, contractors have 30 days to enter a bid. The commission then has 30 days to accept and construction will proceed.
The bid package is for the pool only. "Phase one has two phases," said Sullenberger. Separating the pool from the support building is the quickest way to get the ball rolling, and consequently only the pool will be required to go through the VOF required approval process, since the pool is expected to take up the allotted $110,00 grant and the county's matching amount.
Separating the pool from the bathhouse also gives the commission more time to finalize the plans, now in the hands of an architect, and less oversight during building.
The commission is eager to begin site preparation so the community will see the pool is going to be built. "This board did not start this project to not complete it, and I want the community to know that," Sullenberger said.
Echoing her statement, commission member Maggie Cavell said, "We've got to do what we said we were going to do. We're not going to get ahead and say we are going to do more."
Resident Kathy Cobb said, "I don't think they (the community) think it's going to be a reality." To which member Don Ferrell replied that "95 percent of the people I talk to don't believe it will be a reality. When there is a big hole over there, they'll know."
Hoping to speed up the process on the big hole, the commission expressed the need for a temporary access road that will suit its needs, and not wait on the planned access road that awaits approval from the Virginia Department of Transportation.
If a temporary access road is constructed, site work can start before winter, a step the members agreed was important.
Fund-raising for the project continues, and Sullenberger said she would like the children of the community to get involved in some way, since it will be enjoyed by them as well. "They need to take some ownership in this program," she said. "I think they need to do something for this project to learn."
"We need to get them excited about it," said Cavell.
In other businesses, the commission reviewed programming:
The Mountain Mama Bike Challenge was deemed a huge success, netting $11,317. Compliments from everyone went to Kirk Billingsley for organizing the event. The commission favors letting the event grow as much as possible, perhaps making it a twoday affair. Discussions about spreading the organizational duties into committees were favored.
Recreation director Bryan Parker pitched the idea of supporting a youth volleyball program run by Cobb. The commission agreed with the rewards of such a program and voted for him to proceed.
The seniors enjoyed a trip to the Safari Park but the trip to Pennsylvania is will not happen due to cancellations. "There's always next year," said organizer Sharon Doyle.
The trip to the Shakespeare theatre in Staunton to see "Loves Labor Lost" will be this Saturday. So far, 17 people have signed up.
The next meeting of the recreation commission will be
7:30 p.m., Oct. 22, at the high school.
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