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After a two-year hiatus, swimmers can once again cool their heels in the park's wading pool, thanks to the generosity of some local groups.
Although the pool opened last week, an official ribbon-cutting will be held at 10 this morning.
"There are a lot of people who grew up with this pool, and it's been missed by many," Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray said Sunday. "It means a great deal to see it back in operation. … A lot of people helped us get to this point."
The pool was converted from a wading pool to a spray system in 2007 in response to state Health Department concerns. State regulations require standing water to be drained within two hours to limit the threat of water-borne illnesses.
Last year, the city put aside $180,000 to add a drain to the pool and a system to filter, chlorinate and recirculate the water.
"It ended up costing much more than we thought, and in the end the cost to construct a whole new pool was a lot cheaper," Gray said.
To cover the cost of the project — which Gray estimated to be about $250,000 — the city was aided by "significant" contributions from Franklin & Marshall College, the Loyalty Day Parade Committee and the Lancaster Rec Commission, he said.
Gray said the wading pool at Sixth Ward Park, which also was closed in 2007, is next on deck for renovations as soon as funds become available.
"We made this project as much of a priority as we could," Gray said. "It's important for kids to have access to something like this — something to do during the summer in their own neighborhood."
E-mail: jtodd@lnpnews.com
