PORT TOWNSEND — Parts to repair the boiler at the Mountain View Pool in Port Townsend are on their way, and the city hopes to reopen the facility in late July.
The Port Townsend pool has been closed since May 29, when a 2½-inch pipe burst in the boiler room, flooding the facility’s basement. The city said in a press release Wednesday that the parts have been ordered.
“With estimated arrival of the parts in four to five weeks, plus two weeks to install and test fire the boilers, the pool is expected to reopen on July 26,” the city said.
Initial estimates for the repair ran as high as $100,000, but city staff are now anticipating about $60,000 in costs. The city set aside $20,000 in its last budget to address maintenance issues at the pool.
The pool, showers and locker rooms will remain closed for the duration of the repairs. Other facilities at the Olympic Peninsula YMCA will still be available during regular hours. The gymnasium will be open for pickleball, Senior Stretch & Stability, Drizzle Women’s Basketball and open gym, when programs are not scheduled. Meanwhile, all Jefferson County YMCA members, passholders and punch card holders may use the pool at the YMCA of Sequim.
Starting Tuesday, the YMCA will offer bus service between the Mountain View campus and the Sequim pool. Buses will accommodate 12 people each for a total of 24 people at one time. The buses will be at the YMCA of Sequim from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. with plans to leave by 2:45 p.m. and return to Mountain View.
Those who wish to use bus transport need to register on the Olympic Peninsula YMCA website or by calling the YMCA front desk at 360-385-5811.
Pool replacement
While Jefferson County’s only public pool is closed for maintenance, the county task force looking at options for a replacement facility is centering on the Port Hadlock area as its preferred location.
At their June 6 meeting, members of the Healthier Together Task Force rated four potential locations for their suitability for a public pool, and Chimacum Park came away with the most favorable rating.
Rating locations for criteria including parking, proximity to other amenities, cost recovery potential and support from south county residents on a scale of poor-fair-good.
Out of a total of 10 categories, Chimacum Park received a “good” rating for all except convenient access to bike routes, for which it scored “poor.”
Other locations scored include the Mountain View site, Chimacum Creek Elementary School and downtown Port Hadlock.
The 60-year-old Mountain View pool has exceeded its service life, and the City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County groups have been working on a proposal for a replacement. A steering committee started in February 2023 made up of city and county officials ended up proposing a plan for a $37 million replacement facility at the same location.
The Port Townsend City Council voted to support that plan in November, and it required the passage of a countywide tax to fund the project. But county residents pushed back on the plan, and the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners declined to support the taxing district.
The task force has several more meetings before it makes an official recommendation. Questions about construction methods and costs are still in the works.
Task force members will be traveling to Boise, Idaho, in July to visit pool facilities there, including one made with the modular construction company Sprung.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached by email at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
