SEBCO Pool plans $1.1M pool renovation project
Temporary repairs are becoming more frequent at SEBCO Pool in Jefferson Township's Laura J. Doerr Memorial Park, which is forcing township officials to move forward with an approximate $1.1 million pool renovation project.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has recently offered to allocate $550,000 in grant money for the project according to township manager Leo Rosenbauer, but in order to receive that grant, the township will need to come up with some money on its own.
“That grant needs a 50% match on the township's end,” Rosenbauer said. “We are hoping to have the renovations complete by then start of the 2024 season."
The township owns the park and all the amenities there said Rosenbauer and the pool association is starting a fund drive to help with some of the funding.
"We are trying with other grants to supplement the matching funds,“ said Greg Bauer, SEBCO Pool association president. ”On our behalf we are looking for donations. Even if it's a couple bucks. We are keeping a list of names so whoever donates will be recognized one way or another."
Bauer said the pool renovation project will not interfere with regular pool hours and activities.
Repairs to the aging pool infrastructure have been ongoing for some time now according to Rosenbauer. A broken heater is expected to cost about $4,000.
Other recent repairs include burst pipes from cold weather over the winter, which have flooded the pump room twice.
“Those have been repaired to this point, but will be replaced during the renovation project,“ Rosenbauer said.
The pool renovation project includes installing a new pool liner, as well as all the mechanics of the site such as the electrical, plumbing, heating and the filtration system.
"We need to put a new pool liner in to stop the leaking of water,“ Bauer said. ”We need to update our pump room for the filtration. Also the pipes need replaced because they are all original. Most of the stuff is from the beginning so it's started to show wear and tear."
The pool was built in 1967 Rosenbauer said and all of the original infrastructure is still being used with the exception of some repairs made along the way.
"Apparently they built things to last back then,“ Rosenbauer said. ”In a way, it's been a long time coming."
The township is looking at options to raise money in order to match the DCNR grant, such as other grants, donations or corporate sponsors.
“We have a lot of fence surrounding our pool,” Bauer said. “If you want to do a corporate sponsorship we will put your business on the fence."
Donations toward the pool renovation project can be done over the phone by contacting Bauer at 724-524-3663 or the township office at 724-352-2324.
"If a person wants to donate by check they can make the check payable to Jefferson Township and put on the bottom ‘pool renovations’ so we can know what the money is going towards,“ Bauer said.
Checks can be mailed to the Jefferson Township Municipal Building, 157 Great Belt Road, Butler.
