Pool Closed Because of Engineering Disputes, Council President Says

More details on what closed the Nazareth Boro-Park pool for the 2013 season have been released—17 days earlier than expected.

Dan Chiavaroli, president of Nazareth Borough Council, previously said a professional presentation outlining the reasons behind the pool's closure would be given during Council's May 2 workshop.

But after public outcry from residents wanting answers ASAP, Chiavaroli released a detailed, two-page "explanation" and "capsulized history."

Read "Nazareth Pool Closing Warrants A Detailed Explanation and a Capsulized History" in its entirety.

In a nutshell, the head of the borough's Public Works Department, Robert Reimer, "a master plumber and a veteran layout specialist with many major construction firms, repeatedly questioned engineering decisions and made Council aware of his disagreements with [Borton-Lawson's] Scranton-based engineer."

Borton-Lawson, an engineering and architectural firm, purchased Keller Consulting Engineers Inc., of Nazareth, in 2011, according to a report in The Express-Times.

Keller Consulting retained its brand and became a subsidiary of Borton-Lawson, the report states.

Everything came to a head this month when the borough's Public Works crew ran into roadblocks when the proposed layout for the Nazareth Boro-Park pool's new filtration system moved from paper to reality, Chiavaroli's statement says. Calls to the engineering firm for solutions to design recommendations "grew tense."

The borough decided to replace the pool's filtration system in 2004, which had already lasted 20 years longer than its predicted lifespan, at the advice of then-borough engineer Donald Keller. Also included in the borough's long-term plan, again at the advice of Keller, was the eventual rebuilding of the pool.

Chiavaroli's statement adds:

"A total rebuild of the pool could see a two-year period without the pleasures of summertime swimming, not to mention a price tag that could reach as much as $2 million. Replacing the filtration system presented a clear alternative to upgrade the critical life blood of the pool at a fraction of the price and if properly engineered, could be accomplished without sacrificing a summer season."

To help offset the cost of replacing the filter, according to a 2012 newsletter and Chiavaroli's statement, the borough received a $53,000 Park grant in 2006 to replace a $33,000 filter shaft. In 2010, the borough was awarded a $139,860 grant from Northampton County to help fund a new filtration system.

Fast forward to 2013. The borough's engineer presented Council with the system’s final price—about $264,000, plus a $900 tow motor to assist with the installation.

"A surety deposit of over $24,000 was sent to Neptune Benson, [the country’s premier provider of large-scale pool filtration systems], who promised a March 8 delivery of the system. The borough’s Public Works crew removed the old system, salvaging nearly $3,000 from the scrap metal and the site was prepared for arrival of the new equipment—by this time delayed two weeks to March 21. ...

"... Reimer and his crew quickly set things in motion. Confident in his abilities to make things work but still skeptical of the engineering, Reimer and others from his crew began the work. ...

"The borough informed the Northampton County grant representative of the progress it was making and sent invoice copies of the pool equipment it had received. Assurances arrived from the County that everything was in order and a request was made to schedule a County walk-through when the work had been completed in mid- to late-April. The borough’s insurer was put on notice that a quarter-million-dollar pool filter system would be put online in late April and to add it to the borough’s insurance rolls."

But after a week of obstacles and communication breakdown, Council consulted with an outside pool specialist, Lancaster-based Wallover Architects, and asked for another "assessment of the pool’s condition, the proposed layout for the install, the equipment purchased and the feasibility of everything meshing properly."

"Meetings with Council and lead Architect Ted Wallover on April 5 and later April 10 produced the grimmest of news imaginable and perhaps the worst possible outcome," Chiavaroli's statement says.

Chiavaroli confirmed to Nazareth Patch on April 11 that the pool at Nazareth Boro-Park would remain shuttered for the 2013 season.

The nine-member Council will evaluate the borough’s alternatives after a comprehensive report from Wallover Architects at a workshop meeting on Thursday, May 2. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.

Editor's Note: This story has been revised to fix an error in the naming of Scranton-based engineering firm, Borton-Lawson. We originally wrote Neptune-Benson, which was incorrect. We apologize for the mix up.