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Announcing the 2nd Annual Meadows Lights & Display Contest!
Once again, in 2023, The Meadows will be lighting up the neighborhood throughout the festive month of December! One lucky household will win a $50 gas card. The contest will run from December 1 until December 22nd. Each of your MPOA Board members will select their top three (3) choices from throughout the neighborhood and put them in a poll for the residents to choose & vote. Voting will end on December 22nd, and the house receiving the most votes will be the winner, and the winner will be announced in the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
August 2023 Board Meeting Location
Posted on Aug 12th, 2023
The August 2023 Board meeting will be held at Forest Park, Shelter 1. If this shelter is unavailable, we will move to the next closest available shelter.
UPDATE: The meeting will be at Shelter 2 - the Andersen Shelter between the tennis courts and the mini golf
Pool Closure 2023 Update
Posted on Aug 11th, 2023
As stated in our last communication dated July 22…
“It is the goal of the MPOA Board to get the pool back to being operational and swimmable before the end of pool season. If the insurance company communication stalls the process long enough to miss the pool season, we remain committed to ensuring the pool will open for the 2024 pool season. With this commitment to the 2024 season in mind, even if the pool is not able to be opened for use the goal is to complete all repairs prior to winterizing for this year.”
As of this update the insurance report has been received and is under review. The course for the next steps is currently being weighed and considered by the MPOA Board, Ardsley, and the pool vendors involved in making the necessary repairs as all involved want to be sure to get it done correctly in the best timeline possible given all circumstances. The MPOA Board is 100% committed to having a fully open and operational pool for the 2024 season and is working to ensure that that does happen. Whether or not it is prudent or possible to get it to an operational standpoint for the remainder of 2023 is still being determined.
Overall, the damage to the physical structure of the pool and underground piping beyond the pool house equipment was relatively minimal, though it will take considerable dollars to repair the damage done to the pool deck and replace all the pumphouse equipment with the current standards for the size of the pool that we have.
Annually the cost to operate the pool (lifeguard contract + maintenance + assorted water & utilities) is the second largest expense in the MPOA Budget (second to maintaining all the common area landscaping maintenance which is equal to roughly 13 acres + 10 acres of ponds).
There are two options currently being considered to repair the pool that will either operate in the long-time status quo OR provide for long-term reduced costs + greater operating ability each season thereafter.
As built, the size of the pool is just a few feet above the state law which dictates that any time the pool is open there MUST be at least one (1) lifeguard onsite. Based on that requirement, the standard operating season is from Memorial Day to Labor Day thanks to the general availability of the labor pool for staffing and guarding each operating day.
The first option under review is to repair the pool as it is and keep the status quo of a pool season from Memorial Day to Labor Day with varying hours based on the school calendar, labor availability, and a mandatory lifeguard present at all times while the pool is open.
The second option under review is to take this once in 30 year's opportunity while the pool remains closed and make a change to the physical structure, shortening it in length at the deep end by just a few feet, which would then let us come out from underneath the state requirement for a lifeguard at all times; meaning that the pool season and operating hours (i.e., when the pool opens in the morning and when it closes in the evening) could effectively be lengthened based on the weather – and the cost to operate the pool could be reduced. If enacted, the pool could then operate without a lifeguard requirement from earlier in the spring to later in the fall, thereby reducing the cost to operate the pool by up to 50% or more. More than likely if this option is the selected route, lifeguards would be on hand a couple of days each week during the first operating season to provide that usual oversight, though they wouldn’t be a requirement any longer based on the revised pool size. Note that the additional cost to modify the pool would be offset by the ongoing savings resulting from reduced annual lifeguard staffing costs.
Final Proposals are being reviewed and any interested resident is welcome to attend the next MPOA Board meeting on Monday, August 21 at 6:30 pm at Forest Park. Details about the shelter will be found on the website.
Regardless of which direction the MPOA Board and Ardsley determine to move in, insurance funds from the claim, and a portion of the existing Reserve Fund, will be able to take care of all necessary repairs and any restructuring needed to get the pool complex back into working order as quickly as possible.
Like any contractor you might work with for your personal property improvements and repairs, this project must be scheduled based on available work crews to get the job done. Neither Ardsley nor the MPOA Board are in control of the vendor’s scheduling but have shared the sense of urgency that the community continues to voice via social media. When the schedule is known, additional details will be shared via the website and Facebook.
Thank you for your continued patience as all involved continue to move this project forward as expeditiously as possible.
Pool Closure 2023 Update
Posted on Jul 20th, 2023
In the time since the last update an insurance company engineer was on site to inspect the pool. We were told it would take 7 to 10 days to receive the report after this inspection was completed. We are quite a bit past that milestone and still have not heard from the insurance company. Ardsley Management continues to reach out to them and has been unable to get any answers. The voicemail of the primary contact is now full. There are some additional contacts within the insurance company that we continue to contact as well. The MPOA Board along with Ardsley continue to review any and all options to keep the process moving forward.
It is the goal of the MPOA Board to get the pool back to being operational and swimmable before the end of pool season. If the insurance company communication stalls the process long enough to miss the pool season, we remain committed to ensuring the pool will open for the 2024 pool season. With this commitment to the 2024 season in mind, even if the pool is not able to be opened for use the goal is to complete all repairs prior to winterizing for this year.
The delay in communication from the insurance company is simply not acceptable and we all know that. The MPOA Board continues to appreciate your patience, as both Ardsley and the MPOA Board continue to try and get answers. The MPOA Board’s patience is wearing thin all around as we know yours is too. We remain as optimistic as possible that we are nearing the end and we will have answers soon. When we have more information to share, we will do so.
Pool Closure 2023 Update
Posted on Jun 23rd, 2023
We know it has been a couple of weeks since we’ve been able to share anything about the pool, but do have some updated information to share. During the most recent MPOA Board Meeting earlier this week at Forest Park, Pyle’s Pools and our Attorney were both on hand to answer resident questions about the ongoing situation with the pool. Here is a recap of where things stand at present:
Pressure and leak tests have indicated that there is minimal to no damage to the pipes underneath the pool deck running from the pumphouse.
The pool has once again settled back down as all the water under the ground has been pumped out, and the ground has dried out appropriately. There currently is a ½” to 2” trip hazard around the deck, which will be repaired when the go ahead is given to begin the work.
The pump system and filter that exploded was the original from 1995 when the pool was first installed. At 28 years of age the pump was right within the middle of the functional expectancy for such equipment, which is 20-35 years. While updates and repairs were consistently made each year to maintain the equipment, it still was an unexpected occurrence to blow up the way it did and is estimated the only one in the manufacturer’s history.
Within the next 7-10 days the insurance company’s engineer will be onsite evaluating the damage to provide a report and the estimated amount that the insurance company could pay out to make the necessary repairs and improvements to get the pool into working order.
The MPOA has received bids to repair & replace the damaged pump house equipment, pending the review from the insurance company and what they will pay. Reserve Funds will be used to cover the difference, since the deductible will have to be met first.
The insurance engineer’s report is anticipated to take between 7-10 days after the onsite visit to compile and return to Ardsley and the MPOA Board.
IF the insurance company refuses or doesn’t want to pay, the attorney is on standby to issue demand letters and keep the lines of communication open based on the situation. Any refusal or reluctance on the insurance company’s part will slow things down. Insurance companies typically don’t want to pay anything but are contractually obligated to pay, so it will drag things out based on whatever the determination is in the final report from the engineer, but the attorneys are ready to jump in as needed to assist in keeping things moving forward.
When we are able to move forward with repairs, and everything is done and the pool is ready to be filled, it will need to be filled and sit empty for approximately 9 to 10 days before anyone will be able to use it. This is necessary so that Pyle’s Pools can monitor it for any potential defects or issues, ensuring all seals, caulking and drain pipes are working as they should. If and when that is able to happen, you may notice a lot of activity going on at the pool, but until an official announcement is made on the website, and we are able to officially open it, no residents will be able to access or use the pool facilities.
At this point we still do not have an estimate on whether the pool will be able to open this season or not, but here is the BEST CASE SCENARIO…
IF everything falls into place and there are NO additional unforeseen issues, the pool MIGHT be able to open sometime in August – but there are absolutely NO guarantees.