PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve $75,000 for repairs on the Mountain View Pool roof as a stopgap measure to ease further damage to the aging structure as it seeks to build a new pool facility and wellness center a part of its Healthier Together initiative.
“Over the last few years we’ve had some pretty extensive rainstorms and heavy snowfall,” said Facilities and Parks Manager Michael Todd. “Basically the roof has failed.”
Originally constructed as an open-air pool in 1962, walls and a roof were added four years later to create a natatorium. In 1998, an acrylic membrane was applied on top of the old roof when it began to leak. Not only did it not prevent water from seeping into the building, there is no way to determine the condition of the roof decking underneath.
“So what we have is a 60-year-old covering and then a 25-year-old covering on top of that,” Todd said.
Removing and replacing the acrylic membrane would cost roughly $300,000, Todd said. Replacing the decking and insulation would likely double that amount. The estimates do not include a badly needed HVAC system that would remove the chlorine gas and humidity trapped inside. A long-lasting solution would also involve removing and replacing the entire roof decking, as well as any insulation.
Even though it was not an ideal solution, Facilities and Parks staff recommended applying an acrylic coating to the 1,600-square-foot-long roof that has a projected lifespan of five to seven years.
“It doesn’t handle the weather very well,” Todd said. “It’s almost like a Band-Aid.”
Council members agreed to fund the roof repair from the city’s Real Estate Excise Tax fund, citing strong revenues over the past few years.
“We’re moving towards hopefully getting a replacement put together, but this is hopefully the last time we’re going to be doing something like this,” Mayor David Faber said of the short-term repair.
Facilities and Park staff recommended work on the roof begin in the summer when the weather is dry.
The Healthier Together initiative is a collaboration among the city, Jefferson County, Jefferson Healthcare, the Port Townsend School District, Olympic Peninsula YMCA and JeffCo Aquatics Coalition.
Mountain View is one of four sites currently under consideration for the new facility. If it is chosen, the old pool would be demolished and replaced.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
