Calvert County Commissioner Linda L. Kelley tries to keep her balance on the lily pad and log crossing in the leisure pool at Cove Point Park.
Calvert County Commissioner Linda L. Kelley tries to keep her balance on the lily pad and log crossing in the leisure pool at Cove Point Park. (By Mark Gail -- The Washington Post)
In the company of a giant floating crab, and next to splish-splashing water buckets and slides, the county commissioners cut a pale yellow ribbon, rolled up their trousers and waded in.
"The water feels just fine," said a grinning Commissioner Gerald W. Clark (R-Lusby). "This has been a long time coming."
In a short speech before the ceremonial opening of the pool, which opens to the public Saturday, Clark said the facility was proof that local government does not ignore residents in the southern part of the county, which is his district.
"Since I became a commissioner four years ago, I've heard that county government doesn't care about the 1st District," he said, adding that the new pool and other projects show that "the government tries to be responsible for all of the county, not just particular areas."
The facility includes a 25-yard pool for lap swimming, a wading pool for small children and a leisure pool with two large slides and such features as a floating log and lily crossing, a huge teacup and a water spout.
After taking off her shoes, Commissioner Linda L. Kelley (R-At Large) attempted the lily crossing, nearly falling into the water when she stepped on a green floating pad.
Three other commissioners waded knee-deep into the leisure pool, with Commissioners President David F. Hale (R-Owings) the only one who remained mostly dry in his dark suit and tie.
When fellow commissioners tried to get him to join in, he pointed to his two children, who came prepared in swimsuits, frolicking in the leisure pool.
"I've got two Hales in there already," he said with a laugh. "So we're well represented."
During planning for the pool in 2002, its cost was estimated at $1.8 million. But with sharply rising construction costs in recent years, the final price tag was $3.2 million. Construction began last spring.
The pool in Lusby had been discussed for years by previous boards of commissioners. Before the pool was built, Kings Landing Park had the only county-run swimming pool. As early as 1999, a master plan called for a pool in Cove Point Park. But some commissioners and residents argued that a large, indoor aquatic center in Prince Frederick in the center of the county could provide swimming facilities and a community center.
Plans for an indoor swimming center, however, have fallen through over the past decade. A 2002 proposal for the county and the YMCA to build a pool collapsed during negotiations.
The most recent plan -- a venture with the College of Southern Maryland -- officially ended in January, when a letter from the college president outlined cost estimates much higher than what commissioners had projected.
Since then, commissioners have started the planning process from scratch for the third time.
Early in this election year, some challengers have focused on the need for more public pools in Calvert, and many of the commissioners at Tuesday's event spoke about working hard to make the indoor pool a reality in the coming year.
"I know a lot of people are wondering what else is going on," Hale said.
"They've read about the indoor pool month after month and now year after year."
Standing in front of the leisure pool, Hale said the county was looking for sites and had allocated $250,000 for design work. He added that next year's tentative budget includes $12 million for construction.
"It's not years away. We will probably see something happen next year," Hale said.
But Commissioner Susan Shaw (R-Huntingtown) said: "The new pool's beautiful, no question about that, and I'm sure everyone will enjoy it for these three months. But I think the money would have been better spent on an indoor pool we could use year-round.
"While the previous board and the current board have been fiddling around, the costs have gone up so much, it just gets more and more difficult. I'm very frustrated with the situation."
The county is also working on building a third outdoor pool in Dunkirk but has run into problems because there is no water treatment plant nearby and the soil may not support a pool. Paul Meadows, director of parks and recreation, said the county was trying to determine what the soil can support.
"It's not that the project will be impossible -- not a question of whether or not it can be done," he said. "It might instead be a question of how big a pool the ground can support."
The county allocated $700,000 in this year's budget for designing the Dunkirk pool, and officials projected that $4.9 million would be spent in fiscal 2008 and 2009 on its construction.
The Cove Point Park pool facility will be open through Sept. 4. Hours are:
Mondays-Saturdays, lap swim 6-9 a.m., open swim noon-9 p.m.; Sundays, open swim noon-9 p.m. Admission fees vary. For more information, call 410-535-1600, Ext. 2225.