Politics & Government

Future of Warwick Pool Hangs in the Balance

Alexandria City Manager Rashad Young recommends closing popular pool in city budget proposal.

City Manager Rashad Young is proposing to close Warwick Pool—one of two large outdoor pools in Alexandria—as part of his fiscal year 2014 city budget plan. The move would save the city $92,000 in general operating funds for FY14 and prevent the city from paying more in maintenance costs.

See: City Manager Proposes $626.6 Million Operating Budget

Located at 3301 Landover St., the popular pool needs more than $6,000 in repairs to reopen this year. The facility also requires $500,000 in deferred maintenance “to bring the pool up to standards” in the next five years if the pool remains open, Young said.

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City planners took into consideration a $31 million projected budget shortfall identified by the city when formulating the proposal and noted Alexandria is experiencing a sixth straight year of economic challenges.

To address that gap, Young said he balanced fiscal needs against affordability and made recommendations based on their alignment with the city’s strategic plan.

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The city has spent more than $300,000 in repairs to Warwick Pool over the last several years.

A $50 million strategic plan for the city’s aquatics facilities was revealed last year. In the plan, consultants recommended converting Warwick Pool to a sprayground at a cost of $2.5 million. The project, however, remains unfunded.

See: Alexandria Contemplates New Swimming Pools

“It is contemplated to convert Warwick Pool into something different already. The issue is we don’t have that funded at this point,” Young said last week at City Hall when he unveiled his budget proposal. “If council elects to make the additional investments in capital, it would be funded in later years. That still doesn’t address the capital deficiencies that exist today and certainly on the operating side we’d have to make up the $92,000.”

City Council will host a multitude of work sessions to review the proposed budget and three public hearings before scheduled adoption on May 6. Fiscal Year 2014 for the city begins June 1. 

Alexandria has a full calendar of work sessions and hearings on its website.

Citizens can also comment on the budget proposal on an online forum or contact Mayor Bill Euille and other members of City Council via the city’s new Call.Click.Connect. portal.

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“One of the things that I find so painful is the closing of any of our pools and in this case it’s going to be the Warwick Pool and I’m really sorry for that,” Councilwoman Del Pepper said.

If Warwick Pool closes, Old Town Pool would be the city’s only large outdoor pool. Chinquapin Recreation Center will be closed for much of 2013, putting its large indoor pool out of use.

The closures could strain Memorial Pool at Charles Houston Recreation Center, which is limited to city residents 13 and under and their parents, and Old Town Pool.  


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