P’ville Officials Prepare for Construction of New Village Pool

The Pleasantville Village Board took needed steps last week to start construction of the new village pool after the upcoming summer’s swim season concludes.

At its meeting last Monday, officials closed a public hearing on a required wetlands permit and also issued a negative declaration under the state Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), affirming work at the Lake Street facility will not have significant adverse environmental impacts.

No one from the public commented during the hearing, which opened Dec. 11.

The wetlands permit is required because a new culvert will be built within the 50-foot wetlands buffer of the Nanny Hagen Brook and its spillway. The current culvert diverts the brook’s spillway, which empties into a channel under the pool house. The outlet flows down near the parking lot and proceeds downstream along Lake Street.

The new additional concrete culvert will run under the decking of the new pool and is designed to mitigate and reduce the impact of flooding.

Nanny Hagen Brook is a federal waterway, requiring the permitting process with the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which regulates activities for waterways and wetlands under several federal laws. A permit from the Westchester County Department of Health is also required.

Bids for the pool construction are expected to be returned in late spring or early summer, according to Anthony Carr, the superintendent of public works and village engineer.

Carr said that permitting packages for work occurring within and adjacent to Nanna Hagen Brook and Nannyhagan Lake and its floodplain are scheduled to be submitted to the DEC and Army Corps of Engineers in February.

“This tentative project schedule is subject to variation based on capital funding allocation and regulatory agency review,” Carr said. “The DEC and (Army Corps) permit application review may take several months to complete based on review comments and staffing.”

The new village pool is scheduled to be completed and opened on Memorial Day in 2025.

Pool Fee Increase

Also discussed last week was the upcoming summer pool season. Superintendent of Parks & Recreation Michael Newman requested additional funds for lifeguards and gate attendants.

If Newman’s request is approved, hourly rates for lifeguards, who must be at least 16 years old, would be raised to $16, the state’s new minimum wage, up from $14.

“The minimum wage is increasing,” said Newman. “We need to try and stay competitive with the minimum wage especially since there is a lack of applicants.”

The estimated projected cost for the additional pay is about $25,000.

To cover the increased cost, pool fees could be raised by close to 10 percent, increasing pool revenue by a projected $27,000.

If the increases were to go into effect, individual residents who paid $220 last year would see a $20 increase to $240 for the season. Resident families who paid $440 last summer would pay $480.

Nannahagen Park Walkway

The village authorized a grant to be written applying for funds under the Greenway Conservancy Trail Grant Program for a project called Nannahagan Park Walkway Improvement Project. The program is offered by DEC’s Greenway Conservancy Trail Grant Program. If funds are awarded, they will pay for reconstructing the walkway that runs along Lake Street from the PCTV studio to the pool.

New Pool Liner

In October, the Village Board approved funds to purchase a new pool liner for $178,000. The liner, which was replaced in 2007 and cost over $100,000, was destroyed last September when the pool was flooded by heavy rains. A new liner will be installed for the upcoming summer only. It will be removed when the new pool is constructed.

The new pool is expected to be larger than the current one at just over 11,000 square feet, and will include a zero-entry area, additional lap lanes, a water slide and possibly a diving board. The kiddie pool will include water geysers.

Current estimates for the new pool are $4,786,000. An additional $1.5 million will pay for the flood mitigation work needed to protect the facility from future flooding from the surrounding waterways.