Menlo Park: After mixup, Burgess Pool is closed Menlo Park: After mixup, Burgess Pool is closed (June 23, 2004)

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

After conflicting stories from Menlo Park officials about whether Burgess Pool would stay open during a delay on beginning construction of a new pool complex there, the pool is now closed.

The city originally planned to close the pool on June 13 in preparation for the construction. Swim programs were set to continue both across town at the Belle Haven pool and at Menlo-Atherton High School.

But the Belle Haven pool experienced mechanical problems. So members of the community services department announced last week that Burgess would stay open until the Belle Haven work was finished, and Burgess remained in operation.

Trouble was, community services director Curtis Brown said the word never made it up to him. His staff members were "well-meaning," but he had already budgeted for closing Burgess on the scheduled date, he said.

In addition, Mr. Brown had planned to have some parts, such as a device regulating chlorine, moved from Burgess to the Belle Haven pool to get Belle Haven up and running, he said. So he closed the Burgess pool on June 16.

The Belle Haven pool was expected to open on June 21.

The council may still choose to reopen Burgess during the construction delay; members have asked Mr. Brown to compile a report on how much that could cost.

Mr. Brown told the Almanac that he would like to keep both pools open, but that in the recession he doesn't think his department has the resources. It might also be difficult to hire more lifeguards quickly this late in the year, he added.

Work on the new pools could be delayed up to three months because construction bids came in higher than expected, so the project is being altered and new bids sought, city officials said.

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