Take A Peek At The New Underwood Pool(s) Thursday; Comments Welcomed

The public will now have their chance to take a first look at the likely design of the new Underwood Pool.

Or should that be "pools?" 

The Underwood Pool Building Committee, the folks leading the effort to construct an up-to-date facility to replace the historic but threadbare 102-year-old complex, will be revealing a more detailed design and location of the pools at a public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Belmont Public Library's Assembly Room, adjacent to the existing site. 

And the discussion will be about two pools, one that will be designated for the very young and a second for diving, swimming lessons and lap swimming, each with its own filtration system.

"The new pools will allow for activities to take place while swimming lessons are underway and the separate filtration systems will allow the pool to be open at all times," noted Underwood Building Committee Chair Anne Paulsen. 

In addition to the pools designs, the architectural team of Boston-based Bargmann Hendrie and Archetype will show the suggested locations of the pools and the pool house.

Then it'll be the public's turn to make suggestions to and submit their own preferences and ideas to the design team. 

After the meeting, the architects will make some possible revisions with the design and then, with the Committee, present a schematic design to the Belmont Board of Selectmen on Jan. 27 which will then decide if it will approve a $2.5 million debt exclusion to be placed on the Town Election ballot set to take place Tuesday, April 1. 

Paulsen noted that $2 million has already been set aside by the Community Preservation Committee to build the new pools. 

In earlier meetings of the Building Committee, Paulsen said backer of a new swimming facility would need to use "each day" after the Selectmen debt exclusion vote to win over community support for the new complex, saying that it is unlike both state and town health departments would approve the numerous exemptions needed to open the pool this year without the knowledge that a new pool was approved.