The Future of Warwick Pool Treads Water

The Alexandria community is abuzz with discussion over the future of the local Warwick Village pool, largely due to structural problems with the facility itself.

In the past five years, the City of Alexandria has spent $300,000 in minor repairs, which have been largely designed to keep water from leaking out of the pool.

A city memo from 2010 said the “Warwick pool capital account currently [April 2010] has a remaining balance of just over $300,000, which will be used to keep the facility open and operational as long as possible.” The memo went on to say that because of “the uncertain nature of the pool’s condition” that amount could maintain the facility for “a few more years of operation or it may only last a single year.”

An email from the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities said with the “multiple modifications” of the Warwick pool, “the expected life is reviewed on a year to year basis.”

The facility, along with other Alexandria pools, is currently undergoing an aquatics assessment by outside consultants. The planning team behind the study is Kimley-Horn and Counsilman-Hunsaker, engineers and aquatic designers. In the first phase of the assessment, the team said that although Warwick pool has strong community usage, it also has “parking accessibility and structural concerns.”

The consultants offered examples of several alternative types of aquatic facilities that the city could consider such as therapeutic pools, family-oriented “spraygrounds” and competitive facilities.

In the presentation, the consultants also noted that the property is not city-owned. In 2007, the city renewed its lease on the pool and corresponding Landover Park for an additional 35 years after Warwick residents pleaded for its survival. The pool and park are both owned by the Virginia Theological Seminary and were inherited through a bequest. A memo from 2007 outlines the lease agreement and states that the city pays close to $10,000 a year for the pool and $3,000 a year for the park which is adjusted every five years for inflation.

Residents in Warwick Village and other parts of Alexandria have been working with the city to make repairs to the pool through a volunteer network known as Friends of Warwick Pool. Volunteer coordinator Jenny Malseed said the goal of the group is to keep the pool functional for as long as possible. The organization has repaired both the interior and exterior parts of the facility including the pool house and the entrance area.

Friends of Warwick Pool is asking city residents to take a poll about pool usage through Sept. 5.

The Warwick Village Citizens Association also has contributed to the renovations. According to WVCA President Glenn Christianson, $500 was spent last year on pool maintenance and a remaining $1,500 has yet to be spent but has been reserved for curb appeal.

Christianson also emphasized the importance of the pool house for the WVCA, which holds its meetings there. He said there is no other meeting space specifically located in the Warwick Village area other than that facility.

The final master plan for the aquatics facilities is projected to be finished by late summer or early fall.

So far, initial data collection and discussion has occurred and a fiscal impact overview and plan will have to be formed before any decisions are made concerning any of the city’s pools.