'Public' Pool Means Weekend Drop-Ins, Recreation Commission Says

Casual swimmers will likely be able to drop in for a dip at the Piedmont pool on weekends this summer. The Recreation Commission voted Wednesday to recommend adding daily fee access from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Jon Sako, who led negotiations with the city for the Piedmont Swim club and has since been helping the city come up with a financial plan for the pool, argued against weekend drop-ins. Even though a 50 percent surcharge would be tacked on to the recommended Monday-through-Thursday daily rate—so a weekend visit would cost $45 for a Piedmont family of four and $75 for a family from out of town—Sakol predicted it would be "a big revenue loser." Many people, he suggested, would opt to pay daily fees instead of investing in family passes that start at $450.

Both Sakol and city aquatics consultant Jeff Eorio identified seasonal and annual passes as the biggest and most reliable source of revenue for the pool, essential for keeping it open year-round for as many hours as it had been under the previous management by the private Piedmont Swim Club.

"I'd hate to see all that jeopardized by some egalitarian notion that everyone ought to be able to swim on weekends on an occasional basis," Sakol said.

In response to such concerns, the Recreation Department had nixed weekend drop-ins in its .

But egalitarianism ultimately carried the day Wednesday.

"It's not a Swim Club any more, it's a public pool," said Commissioner Terry London.

"Working parents will not be able to take advantage of this resource if there is not some weekend flexibility," said Commissioner Teddy King.

Kim Hebert, worried that the pool would be so overrun on by drop-ins on holidays that pass holders wouldn't be able to get in, was the only commissioner to vote against the fee schedule recommendation.

The commission did wind up affirming the proposal to prohibit daily fee access on holidays in its recommendation for operating hours. Managers would also cut off drop-ins once the pool reaches 75 percent capacity, to prevent overcrowding. After the meeting, Hebert said she likely would have voted yes on both motions if they had been presented in reverse order.

The commission's recommendations now go to City Council for final approval. Recreation Director Mark Delventhal hopes the council will put its stamp on the hour and fee schedules at its next regular meeting June 6 (instead of June 20) so that his department can get a jump on selling passes.

Recommended Fees

The recommended fee schedule is as follows:

* A family is defined as parents and children living in a single residence plus one au pair or additional family member such as a grandmother.

** The Recreation Commission recommended that the fee for seasonal adult individual passes be set closer to the family recreational pass rate than the $300 for residents and $400 for non-residents suggested in an earlier proposal but did not designate a specific price. 

**Daily fees are not available on holidays. Pass holders are allowed to bring guests seven days a week.