New Committee Aims to Make Bethel Community Pool a Reality

For many residents, Bethel seemed to be missing something over the years: a community pool - a place to swim on a hot day, take their children to swimming lessons or to get fit all conveniently located in town. 

Starting this year, a group of residents and parents are working to finally bring a pool to the Town of Bethel.

On Tuesday, members of the Bethel Community Pool committee met to announce their plans to raise funds for a pool to be built for the use of Bethel High School and the community.

Bethel High Principal Dr. Patricia Cosentino led the meeting along with Swim Coach Katie McGowan and Peter Eckert of Architects' Guild (also a Bethel parent). 

"I think [a pool] is an important part of a community and swimming is an important life skill and if you live in town, you don't have that opportunity unless you are willing to drive to other towns,” Cosentino said. “We hope to make this dream of bringing a pool to Bethel a reality; it’s time to make this happen.”

Along with general recreation, she said a pool would be a source for revenue for town, as it could hold swimming lessons, classes and have renting fees.

Bethel's Park and Recreation Director Eileen Earle, who was also in attendance, said while the pool would be primarily used by the high school for physical education and athletics, the community could work around it, especially in the summer.

“So many people call my office asking where they can get lifeguard certification or where they can swim on a hot day," Earle said. "Having this pool would certainly add another avenue to our services."

McGowan explained that using other pools for BHS’ swim team practices and meets not only costs money, but that traveling presents a burden to both students and parents.

"Overall, it would just be so much better to have our own pool," McGowan said. "There would be more opportunities to practice and we could build a more competitive swimming program."

Eckert, an architect who also worked on the new BHS track facilities, gave a slideshow presentation of preliminary sketches of the new pool that could be built on the south side of the high school.

The two-floor, indoor facility would include a large viewing area for parents, a concession area, locker rooms, a multipurpose room and a weight room. Toward the back end of the indoor pool would be large garage doors to open during summer and would lead to a small, outdoor children's pool.

In all, building such a pool facility could cost millions, according to Eckert.

Though nothing is set in stone, Cosentino said while the sketches are the best fitting and most expensive scenario, it is still a possibility.

"You never know unless you try and that's why we are here," she said. "There are many things that we could take away, but I believe there are ways to do this."

Some of those ways include seeking out large donations, looking into grants and state refunds. Cosentino said she's already asked the Bethel Education Foundation and other organizations for help.

But before anything can be built, she said the first step is to raise $30,000 to draw up official plans and drawings for the new pool; ones that are sophisticated enough to present donors and sponsors.

As its first fund-raising event, the Bethel Community Pool committee will hold a 5K race that will take place on Sunday, Oct. 16 (homecoming weekend).

The race will be held around the David Deakin Educational Park at 10 a.m. and there will be a one-hour children's race at 9 a.m. The entry fee is $25 and all runners will receive a free t-shirt. A flyer for the 5K race is attached to this article.

Those interested can register at http://register.fasttracktiming.com or by filling out the attached flyer and mailing it to Bethel High School. 

The Bethel Community Pool committee is expected to meet again in late September or early October. For more information or to be added to the committee e-mail list, e-mail Cosentino at cosentinop@bethel.k12.ct.us. Anyone is welcome to join the committee. 

Donations toward the community pool are always welcome and checks can be made out to All Sports Booster Club.