Freshly re-elected Amenity Authority Committee member Carl Bell has wasted no time pushing for a fully enclosed swimming pool, a project for which he has become the champion.
He made his intentions known at Wednesday’s AAC meeting at Savannah Center.
Bell wants a fully enclosed, climate-controlled swimming pool.
“If you go to any pool in The Villages in the heat of the summer and if you go to any pool in the chill of the winter you’ll see they’re empty,” Bell said.
Ideally, Bell said he would like to see the pool at El Santiago converted to an enclosed pool. But he said he is open to other locations.
Villages Aquatic Swim Team members showed up at the meeting to support Bell’s idea.
Freda Pfeiffer of VAST said her concern is about sun exposure, not necessarily the cold.
“Many of us have already had too much sun exposure,” she said. “We don’t want to give up swimming.”
Villager Mary Evans, who lives south of County Road 466, said she wants to be able to swim year round.
She said some of her aging neighbors with mobility issues depend on swimming for physical activity.
Recreation Director John Rohan said there are currently 75 swimming pools in The Villages. Usage at pools varies, depending in part on the programs in place at the facilities, he said.
AAC member Don Deakin pointed out the Wellness Center had an indoor pool before moving to La Reina building in Spanish Springs and then being purchased by MVP Athletic Club.
“We had a private, fee-based pool here in The Villages (near the hospital) but it went out of business,” said AAC member Don Deakin. “I would like to know why it went out of business.”
The topic will be discussed at the AAC’s December meeting.
“I hope we get a big turnout on this topic,” Bell said.
