March 28, 2024
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Council to see new cost figures for pool

MILLINOCKET – Launch of the town’s flagging outdoor community pool construction project might begin shortly after the Town Council’s Oct. 12 meeting with an eye toward finishing it by next summer’s pool season, officials said Friday.

The council will review proposed cost figures on Oct. 12 drawn from the use of less expensive construction materials that could complete the pool for $1.2 million to $1.4 million. That’s about $500,000 less than the sole bid that councilors rejected by a 6-0 vote earlier this month because it was too expensive.

“At which time, we will debate the merits of spending this money on an in-ground pool for our community. If it is approved by the council, we will proceed,” council Chairman David Nelson said Friday.

Civil Engineering Services Inc. of Brewer and Arcadia Designworks LLC of Portland will provide the council with construction cost projections.

The outdoor pool’s conceptual designs feature four racing lanes, a toddler wading area with safety rails, a mushroom fountain that sprays water, two diving boards, sloping sides and depths and a large slide.

Other touches include a gently curved roof with sunroof, a bathhouse with changing rooms and a large grass strip suitable for sunbathing or light outdoor recreation. The pool will be located amid the town recreation complex near Stearns High School.

The community pool to be replaced leaked about 584,121 gallons of water last summer and is about 50 years old.

On Thursday, councilors edged close to ordering the start of construction on the project before deciding to see written estimates of cost construction. Patric Santerre, an architect at Arcadia, said they lacked “a hard [cost] number from a general contractor that we feel is acceptable.

“We have a portion of a number that, if we compare it to pools of equivalent size, we think is a good number. However, we cannot prove that it is a good number,” he said.

“It seems like we are hurrying a bit here, and it worries me that we are not doing it right,” Councilor Jimmy Busque said. “I would like to see a pool for next summer, but I would not want to hurry this just because we want to see a pool next summer.”

“I am willing to wait even longer,” Councilor Bruce McLean said, explaining that he would like to see the town invest in other projects that are also likely to make the town more of a regional magnet.

“The pool is a great idea,” he said. “I want to see it done. I just think we should look at other opportunities first.”

Councilor Matthew Polstein was uncomfortable with proceeding without rebidding the project. Councilor David Cyr, who owns a cement contracting company, advocated proceeding immediately, saying that costs affordable now might not be by springtime because of inflation.

Inflation can boost costs as much as 15 percent over six months, he said.

“Waiting may actually be the more expensive alternative,” Councilor Wallace Paul said.

Construction can start this fall with excavation and possibly with cement pouring, Santerre said, and would resume in the spring.

Correction: This article ran on page C3 in the State and Coastal editions.

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