Cheshire Pool Bubble Removed Next Week

The all-weather bubble over the Cheshire Community Pool will be removed beginning next week to ready the Olympic size facility for the summer swim season.

Crews will arrive on Friday May 19 to begin the removal process said Parks and Recreation Director Robert Ceccolini. He said it will take up to five days to remove the huge fabric bubble and the safety cables that cross high above the pool's surface.

This will be the first time this particular bubble has been removed; it was just installed in early February after the original bubble collapsed from heavy snow in January 2011. 

The pool has been operating under a temporary certificate of occupancy (CO) since the new bubble was installed because the town's building code doesn't allow for the high level of humidity within the facility.

When the bubble is reinstalled in the fall, Ceccolini said a new dehumification system will be installed to reduce moisture. "It it's ready we'll cut a hole in the bubble," for air exchange, he said.

The Public Building Commission is working with an engineering firm to develop a design for the dehumidifier. Chairman John Purtill said at their May 2 meeting the the interior moisture is not a safety problem.

"In the fall, if it's not remedied, we'll see what will occur," Ceccolini said. He said the building commission believes the temporary CO could be extended into the fall season, if necessary.