City to determine future of bath house

Friday, May 27, 2011
The future of the historic bath house at the Fort Scott Municipal Pool has yet to be determined, but the Fort Scott City Commission has been presented with three options in the matter. See Page 3 for more details on the choices. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

The future of the historic bath house at the municipal pool remains up in the air as the Fort Scott City Commission began discussions on what to do with the structure.

Kyle McCawley, an engineer with Larkin Aquatics, presented three options to the commission and audience members at a special meeting earlier this week. The three options range from restoration of the bath house to complete demolition. Fort Scott City Manager Dave Martin began the meeting by requesting that, as with the golf course discussions, the comments from both sides be presented in a respectful manner.

"Our history is important to us," Martin said. "We realize this could be an emotional decision."

McCawley presented the three possibilities that would solve the issue with the structure of the bath house, as well as the lack of space. He said that currently the bath house contains 2,350 square feet of space and the new design would feature 3,850 square feet.

McCawley said that in its current state, the bath house does not fit the needs of the new design.

According to McCawley, any building that would be constructed would be done to "mimic or complement the current facility." He said the estimated prices for each option include construction of buildings with brick facades and detail work that would match the existing bath house.

Fort Scott resident and Bourbon County Historical Preservation Association board member Jim Pitts said he was happy to see that there was only a difference of $75,000 between options two and three, after preliminary numbers showed a difference of $200,000.

"I was really happy to see it was that close," Pitts said.

Pitts spoke in support of saving the existing building. He said everything else will be new and it would be nice to save the one piece of history.

"We only get one chance to save that building," he said. "That bath house is a piece of history. Everything else is new."

Regarding the cost, the possibly was discussed of sacrificing other features to make up the expense of the restoration. One of the options mentioned was installing one slide rather than two -- installing the groundwork for the second slide to be added later.

Martin told commissioners that prior to the April vote on the half-cent sales tax, the design concepts presented to the public depicted the third option. However, it was made known that if the tax passed, the issue would be addressed during the planning process.

After the presentation, commissioners voted to table the issue to allow time to hear comments from constituents. The commission is expected to make a decision on the matter during a special meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. June 1 at City Hall, 123 S. Main St.

Bath House Options

Option 1

Restore bath house, build two new structures

With the total cost estimate of $773,222, the first option would consist of restoring the exterior of the current bath house and renovating the interior for shower and changing facilities only. A second building would constructed for the admission area, concessions and an office. A third, smaller building would be constructed to house the pool's mechanical systems, such as the filter and pump.

The existing mechanical equipment, located in the basement of the bath house, would be disconnected and left in the basement. Kyle McCawley, an engineer with Larkin Aquatics, said it would be cheaper to leave the equipment in the basement rather than remove it.

In addition to the buildings, the road located on the east of the bath house would be moved slightly to the east and a retaining wall would be built.

According to McCawley, the reason for the move is so two-way traffic can be accommodated, as well as pedestrian traffic along the east side of the building.

The first option would increase the total square footage to 4,450.

Option 2

Restore bath house, build one new structure

At a total estimated cost of $728,122, the second option would restore the exterior of the current bath house while gutting the interior. The bath house would then be used for storage and to house the pool's new mechanical equipment. A second structure would be built to house the showers/changing area, admissions, concessions and an office.

With this option, the road on the east side would still need to be moved to accommodate pedestrian and two-way vehicle traffic.

The second option would increase the total square footage of the bath house to 4,950.

Option 3

Build new

With a total estimated cost of $653,100, the third option would remove the existing bath house and build two new buildings.

The building for the mechanical, as described in the first option, would be constructed along with the larger building for the amenities, as described in the second option.

McCawley said that with the bath house no longer there, the road would not have to be moved.

The third option would create total square footage of 3,850.