Carleton Place swimmers may be diving into an indoor pool in the future under a sprung membrane-covered structure. While Council’s committee recently gave the go ahead for staff to complete a business plan for $11K, Mayor Toby Randell says the final structure choice is not a foregone conclusion.
The existing and aging indoor pool in Town needs almost $4M in work and doesn’t have a regulation length pool for competition. Council decided last year to get reports and costings on its replacement. Early discussions on bricks and mortar facilities saw possible costs ranging from $70M-$80M. Randell says those numbers came as an unpleasant surprise, leading to council to look into other options.
Sprung structures are built using aluminum framing covered by a durable membrane. The cover is warranted for 25 years and the framing is covered for 50 and Ontario communities use them for a variety of purposes. Randell says extensive public consultation is part of the plan before any decision is made, including municipal recreation cost partners.
The business plan is a requirement for Ontario grant funding and Uxbridge Township recently received $7.7M, over half of the total cost of their new sprung aquatic facility. Membrane replacements are considered a normal life-cycle maintenance event for sprung buildings and usually cost approximately 20% of the original structure.
Story by Brian Turner
