Pool Renovations Pictures
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Tour the New Palisades Pool
The Newley Renovated Palisades Pool
Main
Pool Pictures
Middle Pool Pictures
Wading Beach Entry
Miscellaneous Pictures
The final
design master plan
has been posted.
April 2009 Newsletter Pool Renovation Update
If you haven’t been following the renovation
discussions or
are new to the pool this season, over eight years ago our pool
operations
company notified the Board that considerable work needed to be done on
our
pools, including electrical replacement, concrete decking replacement
and
repair, major equipment replacement, tile and coping stone replacement,
as well
as recoating and resurfacing of the pool. The cost of this work was
estimated at
$200,000 to $400,000. Our pool operator also indicated that the
underground
piping, pumps, and major infrastructure of the pool would need to be
completely
replaced within the next 10 years, at a total cost of $600,000. Rather
than do
this work piecemeal, about five years ago the Board began looking into a
renovation that would address the long term needs of the pool and take a
comprehensive, cost effective approach to undertaking these necessary
actions.
The Board also began financial planning to address the cost of the
renovation.
For the last three years, considerable work has
been done
by the Board to fully assess the safety, accessibility and required
replacement
needed at the pool, with the assistance of a project manager, civil
engineer,
and pool design architect. In addition to several meetings for all
members of
the pool, last summer the members were surveyed for their specific input
into
the process. Last fall, a proposed design was developed, posted on the
web site,
and presented at the Annual Membership meeting in January. After
approval by the
membership, bids from several pool renovation contractors were obtained
and the
Board met with and interviewed the top five contractors in February and
March. A
contractor was selected for a total bid price of $935,000 and final
negotiations
were completed in early April. We have also budgeted approximately
$200,000 for
additional costs, such as landscaping, construction of a family unisex/
accessible bathroom, and consultant costs.
Over the next 5 months, final permits will be
obtained and
construction is expected to begin in mid-September after the pool
closes. The
newly renovated pool will open Memorial Day weekend 2010. Several
contingencies
have been built into the contract — if we are unable to obtain all
permits,
financing, or if the price estimates exceed the bid price, the
Association can
withdraw from the contract and work may be postponed until the fall of
2010. We
have also staged the design, so that many of the options/features may be
postponed to be added at a later date.
In making the decision to move forward on the
renovation,
the Board had three primary considerations. First, we do not know how
much
longer the current systems can continue to operate and the sooner the
work gets
done, the less risk that any of the systems at the pool could fail.
Second, we
want to address safety and accessibility requirements as soon as
possible.
Third, we had considerable negotiation leverage in the cost of the
renovation
contract given the current economy.
We will be able to use $400,000 in current cash
reserves to
cover a portion of the renovation cost and we will be pursuing a loan
for the
remaining costs. Payments on the loan will come from current cash flow,
and we
do not anticipate raising dues or making an assessment to cover the
renovation
costs. We will continue to explore the sale of the surplus land on
Longridge
Court, which can be used to pay off the loan and replenish the cash
reserves. We
are also considering allowing temporary members to prepay a small
portion of the
bond costs to spread these costs out so that when a bond become
available, the
amount due will be lower.
More information on the history of the renovation,
the
member survey and the proposed design are posted on the web site. The
renovation
process has been (and continues to be) a long, time consuming project
and all
the volunteer Board members, Renovation Technical Committee members and
Finance
Committee members deserve much gratitude and recognition for getting us
to this
point.
Renovation Update
To the Palisades Membership
This is to update you on the progress
of the
pool renovation. The Board has selected a Civil Engineering firm and a
Design
Architect to prepare the site survey, a feasibility study, engineering
site
plans, and a projected budget. The selection was based on the
recommendations
of the Renovation Committee after extensive meetings, interviews, review
of
qualifications, and site visits with competing candidate firms. The
feasibility study and site plans will take into consideration the
priorities
identified from the survey of members conducted this summer. The survey
results
are posted on the Palisades web site under the renovation link.
The Renovation Committee and the Board
will
review the draft design plans and projected budget in November. The
plans and
costs will be posted to the website in December. On January 15, 2009
the Board
will present the final design plans at the Annual Meeting. These plans
will
then be put out to bid and a Construction Contractor will be selected
this
Spring. The Project Manager will be working with the Civil Engineers,
Designers, and Construction Contractor to obtain all necessary permits
and
approvals - we may need the services of a land use attorney in this
regard if
anyone has contacts or recommendations, please let us know. Under the
current
schedule, construction would begin the second week in September, 2009,
with
completion by May, 2010.
As we previously communicated, the
survey
indicated that a majority of the members responding would vote against a
$500
assessment to finance the renovation. The survey indicated a split of
opinion
regarding the sale of the land on Longridge Court. With regard to
financing the
renovation, the Board will be taking a two step approach. Plan A is to
list the
land for sale at $850,000, with a 90 day listing period. (The land is a
.77
acre, or 33,541 sq. foot, lot zoned for a single family home and would
include
immediate membership in the pool. It is being listed by Rachelle
Cherol, an
agent with the Bethesda Gateway office of Long and Foster -
(301)379-5013.) If
the land does not sell, Plan B is to take a 30 year loan for $800,000.
The
payments on the loan would come from: 1) a $100 assessment of all
permanent
bondholders - this amount would be added to the current value of the
bond and
would be refunded when the bond in turned in; 2) an annual $100
capital
improvement contribution from all temporary members - this money would
be
credited toward the future purchase of a bond and would be refunded when
the
bond is turned in, but would be forfeited if the member decides not to
purchase
a bond; and 3) the Board will be looking at budget "belt tightening" to
pass on
more user fees for our currently free or subsidized programs. Dues are
not
expected to increase to finance the renovation. (Of course, dues are
likely to
increase 5 to 10% per year, as required by cost of living increases for
employees, fuel surcharges passed on by contractors, etc. ) Nothing is
set in
stone, but we wanted members to know what the current financial
proposals were
-- we will be providing more details regarding final financial
arrangements
after the completion of the feasibility study and budget, prior to the
January
15, 2009 Annual Meeting.
There is more information on the
website under
the renovation link regarding why the renovation is needed and the 4
year
history of the Board's study of the infrastructure issues and options.
We have
invested lots of time and effort to study this issue and we are basing
our cost
and time projections on what is currently known. Please keep in mind,
as with
all projects of this nature, there may be surprises in what is
discovered during
excavation, additional regulatory compliance requirements imposed on us
by the
County, or many other possible worst case scenarios that could impact
our
schedule and budget. Thank you for your support!
The Board of Directors and Pool
Renovation
Committee
Survey Results
PALISADES POOL RENOVATION SURVEY RESULTS
August, 2008
-
The overwhelmingly majority of respondents are the active, regular and
frequent users, which are predominately family households.
a. There were 391 Responses; 72% Bonded Active, 23% Temp Active=93%
active. 50%
of bonded active responded and thirty-three % of temporary actives. Only
8% of
bonded inactives and 5% temp inactives responded.
b. Respondents generally participate as a family 83%; generally active
95%.
c. Members attendance was fairly evenly distributed between Very
Frequently
(29%), Freq (29), Regularly (24%), only 17% less than once a week.
-
Enhanced Improvement Major options: An overwhelming majority favored
at least
some enhanced options (65-80%). The ratings resulted in clear choices,
e.g.
first, second, etc
-
The overwhelmingly first choice (about 50% more than the next 1st choice)
is to increase number of lap lanes. Nearly half selected as first
choice and
65% selected it as first or second choice.
-
Convert to chlorine-free is overwhelming second choice with
one-third
ranking it as their first choice and over half ranking it either
first or
second choice)
-
More deck space and shade is the clear third choice
-
Adding covered deck or terrace to grassy area is clear fourth choice
-
Comments: The comments match the ratings with one slight
variation––slightly
more objected to more lap lanes than chlorine but these were still
the first
two choices. There were about a half a dozen improvement ideas
suggested
regarding existing operations, which are under consideration by the
Board.
-
Enhanced Improvement Minor Options: Nearly half indicated that they
did not
want any of these features and a third did not rank the features.
There are
clear preferences of the choices:
-
Clear first choice is shaded in-pool bench-seating. Received about
1/3 more
than the next 1st choice.
Forty per cent selected as first choice and 65% selected as either
first or
second choice.
-
A clear second choice is a sloped zero entry for baby pool.
-
Third choice is interactive bubbles.
-
Fourth choice is mushroom climbing feature
-
Fifth place is permanent basketball hoop
-
Sixth or last choice is the porpoise tiles
-
Comments: Comments match the rankings. A few other features were
suggested,
with the most frequent comment to add a slide.
-
Basic Replacement versus Enhanced Improved Option: Sixty-two percent
responded
for the enhanced option as opposed to just the basic maintenance
option.
-
How to finance the enhanced option- to sell the land or not? The data
is not
as definitive. The number selecting an option to sell the land (49.4%)
was
virtually equal with those in favor of keeping the land (50.7%).
However, of
those that want an enhanced option, somewhat more wanted to sell the
land.
-
How many would vote AGAINST the $500 assessment?
-
The data indicate that a majority may vote against a $500
assessment. (41.6%
would vote against the $500 assessment, 39.7% would not vote against
the
assessment.)
-
Nearly 20% are still undecided.
-
Most people do not want to pay the $500, but most want the
enhancements.
-
Will members leave the pool if the $500 assessment is approved?
-
It appears that while a majority would vote against the $500
assessment, a
majority would not leave even if the $500 assessment is approved.
-
However, nearly 40% either plan to leave or are undecided.
-
Possible Conclusion: Since most people want the enhancements and
would vote
against the $500, it seems more consistent with the data to explore
sale of
land so people would not be forced to consider leaving.
-
Looking at only Bonded active members, the preferences were basically
the same
with a few very slight/negligible differences.
-
For Question # 8, preference for improvement and financing, the
distribution
is very similar to the distribution for all respondents. There was a
very
slightly higher percentage of those that wanted an enhancement
without sale
of the land (+3%) and slightly fewer who wanted basic only with sale
of land
(-3%).
-
For Question # 9, the percentage of those who would vote against the
$500 is
slightly higher (1%-3%)
-
For Question #10, the distribution was the same for those who might
leave
the pool with a $500 assessment.
For an overview of the renovation project, please read the
January
2009,
and the April
2009
newsletters
Jan Neudorfer
Click on the above name to contact the Project Manager.
