McMechen Closes City Swimming Pool | News, Sports, Jobs

photo by: Photo by Shelley Hanson

The McMechen swimming pool, positioned just off 16th Street in the city, is shown on Wednesday. It will not open this season since of harm and expense concerns, mentioned Mayor David Goddard.

McMECHEN – The city of McMechen will not be opening its swimming pool this summer season due to harm, expense concerns and low attendance, mentioned Mayor David Goddard.

Goddard mentioned Wednesday that members of city council voted lately to close the pool, citing the concerns and lack of cash to deal with the troubles.

“The walls are falling in the deep finish of the pool,” he mentioned, adding the pool is produced of block walls covered with cement.

He noted the pool is not the form that can be fixed with a liner.

Simply because of this harm the city suffered $120,000 worth of water loss through final season. Goddard believes the water loss is due to the broken walls. He believes there is water beneath the pool.

A different aspect in the selection was the low attendance numbers.

“We’ve had really low turnout the final couple years at the pool, as tiny as 5 or six individuals,” he mentioned.

He attributes the low attendance to extra individuals getting backyard pools, individuals swimming at Benwood’s newly refurbished pool and other individuals wanting to swim at bigger swimming pools in common.

Goddard mentioned the city has produced repairs to the pool more than the years, but it can not absorb such substantial losses in a single season.

“Small cities can not afford to drop that cash in a time period of significantly less than six months,” he mentioned.

Goddard mentioned the city has attempted to locate grants to aid repair the pool, but absolutely nothing has been readily available.

“If we locate cash or get some aid, we will revisit and go from there,” he mentioned.

Goddard noted the final estimate the city received to repair the pool by having rid of the broken deep finish was extra than $300,000. He mentioned that quantity would probably be larger right now.

Goddard mentioned the pool is about 50 years old. He remembers it opening when he was ten years old.

Men and women or organizations who would like to present help with regards to the pool, can contact the city offices at 304-232-3140.

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