Rehab of Kent's defunct swimming pond will take time, officials say

KENT – Efforts to restore Emery Park's long-closed swimming pond took a step forward last week, as engineers reported the decades-old foundation appears stronger than some expected. Even so, they said, it may be several summers before the swimming hole is back in working order.

Despite the longer than anticipated timeline, Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Rufus de Rham said during the June 17 meeting that the town remains focused on bringing back a place for residents to cool off.

“I know we have pipe dreams,” said De Rham, referring to long-term intentions to install a pavilion, upgrade the playground and even build an office for the Parks and Recreation Department at the park, among other proposed projects. “But the pond is our No. 1 mission here.”

Luckily, its bones are mostly solid, reported Cardinal Engineering Vice President Timothy Cermola. “The masonry and stone walls are probably sound,” he said of the foundation. Officials had feared the entire basin would need to be re-excavated.

However, “anything concrete that was laid on the stone masonry has to be removed,” he said, gesturing at the pool’s lining, which is cracked and crumbling in places. Cermola noted that the first focus of a recently-commissioned study will be to determine how much of the masonry is suitable to keep, noting that anything unstable or at risk of becoming so will have to be replaced. The current concrete is intended to be upgraded to a long-lasting, rebar-supported gunite lining.

The pond, a stream-fed concrete basin that was dug out to its current shape in the early 1960s, served the town as a cooling off spot before shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, the only public swimming opportunity in town is at Lake Waramaug State Park.

Plans to bring the pond back into working order have been in the works for years with ample public support. The town sent out an RFP for its restoration late last year, but it was repealed due to complications with federal funds for the project.

Since then, officials have shifted their approach, opting to bring on Meriden-based Cardinal Engineering to survey the site and develop a master plan for the park, meant to guide the swimming pond restoration and the longer term projects. Part of the plan will be bringing the park’s facilities, which span somewhat rugged terrain below a steep hillside, up to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, a requirement in public parks.

“This is where the money is well spent,” Cermola said, though he noted it will be a significant undertaking. “This is a million dollar project,” he predicted.

While the foundational structure may be more intact than some had feared, the finished product may look quite different to what’s there now.

The general shape of the pond is subject to change, said Parks and Rec. Director Matt Frasher as he perched on a sloping wall inside the basin. The curved flooris likely to be restructured with straight-down flat walls at the pond’s edges for safety reasons, he said, and the overall depth may be reduced to five-feet.

A wide, oblong section that once accommodated 75-foot lanes for the local swim team may also be narrowed in the new design.

The town currently has $400,000 in capital funds available for the swimming pond restoration, as well as an additional $100,000 in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act which will expire this year. Another $100,000 in capital has already been allocated towards upgrading the playground.

The Cardinal engineers anticipate the master plan will be complete by the end of summer, which will then act as a blueprint for next steps.

As the group dispersed, Commissioners were satisfied by the discussion, despite the temporal setbacks. “We want to do it right,” said Chair De Rham. “That’s the biggest thing.”

“While we’re working on the pond first,” added member Keith Johnson, “it won’t interfere with anything in the future… that’s what the master plan ensures.”