This week, I swam at my pool, the Brandywine pool. The renovations are impressive and it looks great.
Yesterday, I swam at a Vienna pool (Vienna Aquatic Club), as I was a chaperone to my son’s end-of-school party. I spoke with the mother who belongs there.
Next Saturday, my son is going to a pool party given by one of his classmates, somewhere in Arlington.
This gives some food for thought. See my musings below.

One of the complaints the Rec B pool has had, is that there is lax or no enforcement of who uses the pool. Guest pass fees are extremely low, and some people may be putting long lists of residents on pool pass applications. So basically, we’re giving it away. The lifeguarding is relatively low staffed. Maintenance is sparse.

At Brandywine, we use photos to identify people able to use the pool. I have to scrounge around for new photos each year. The lifeguards are supposed to check people and mostly do. We always have 2 to 3 lifeguards, but of course their main responsibility is lifeguarding.  Brandywine is getting by with pool fees and rent from the cell tower (monopole) on the property, and was able to do significant renovations needed. Its pool house is concrete block, but it has solar panels on the roof that warm the water. It has an active swim team, frequent events, and an involved membership which gets rebates on its substantial fees when they contribute sweat labor each spring and fall. Grounds maintenance, raking, mowing, painting, pool furniture cleaning and repair, cement work, etc. are all done by volunteers.  Events include dive-in movies, “Sundae Sundays”, casino nights, adult parties, etc.

In Vienna, they still use photos, but they also use a FINGERPRINT reader (!) to check people in, and their pool management company provides a SEPARATE person whose sole responsibility is to check people. Overkill?  Well, the pool has a WAITING list of people who want to join the pool and pay its fees. It used to use volunteer labor but has shifted to paid labor as its members are too busy, and it apparently has ample funds. It just REBUILT its pool house and it looks great – it is all tile and new inside. Its fees are lower than Brandywine’s — about $320 per family, any size, whereas Brandywine’s vary depending upon number of family members and I pay over $400. Of course, the pool is also larger, but they don’t have tennis courts or anything else and neither does Brandywine. BTW, their pool company is Crystal.

What this tells me, is that it should be possible to run the pool differently. The Rec B pool has been under-funded and under-repaired, and shows it. It currently “comes with” condo ownership and is open to about anyone who knows someone in one of the three associations and possibly those who don’t.  If we had:

(1) beefed-up enforcement of swimmers (e.g., require photos and someone to check them, and give someone authority to deny entrance),
(2) improved look (poolhouse, furniture, etc.), would there be a way to explore
(3) organization of events and fostering of pool spirit, and possibly even
(4) charging pool dues above and beyond condo ownership or rental, and/or higher pool dues to non-association owners/tenants?

The last item is way out there but hey, in Brandywine we have shifted from the neighborhood to allowing anyone to buy in. (Our “share” conveyed with the house).  In Vienna, anyone can buy a “share” for $1000 (but only when one comes available), and then pay their dues. Maybe if the pool were attractive, people in nearby homes without pools would want to buy in. Vienna has a waiting list, and people also “sublet” their shares by the month, typically in August if they go on vacation. (!! amazing.)

Anyway, it does seem that it should be possible.  We need to find a resident who would wants to take it on. Maybe someone who is an energetic business student might want to draw up a business plan for a revitalized pool?  Do we know any faculty at Mason?