Shallow-Water Shortage
By Laura Altemose
In 2013, the Lake Naomi Club in Pocono Pines, Penn., celebrated 50 years of uncompromising member services, top-tier amenities, and extraordinary, lifelong family memories. The club continues to be at the forefront of recreational communities in the mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania and throughout the United States. In order to maintain this platinum level of member satisfaction, the club must prepare for the future.
The Lake Naomi Club is once again embarking on expanding and enhancing one of its most-loved member amenities—the Logan Steele Community Center, which includes an indoor aquatic facility. The membership’s overwhelming satisfaction and support of the 48,000-square-foot center is undeniable. But members have identified areas that need some additional attention to meet the needs of the growing community. The expansion of aerobic and fitness facilities, addressing the need for shallow-water areas in the pool, and increased space in the locker rooms, are a few items of concern.
Searching For Space
The center opened in 2007, featuring an indoor pool with a zero-entry ramp, surrounding floor-to-ceiling windows, and overhead wooden beams. Over time, though, it was evident that projected use, as determined by the aquatic committee, was not consistent with actual membership use. The pool was originally designed to meet the needs of the club’s award-winning swim team, besides being a great recreational pool for families. As it turned out, the swim team preferred the outdoor lakeside pool, and families using the indoor pool preferred to sit poolside and watch their young swimmers instead of being in the water with them. The indoor pool did not have adequate shallow water for young members, so the zero-entry ramp became the favorite area for inexperienced swimmers. This, of course, became cumbersome for members who benefited from the zero-entry ramp feature.
Over the next few years, various temporary solutions were introduced, including swim-lesson platforms, but nothing measured up to the Platinum Club level to which our members are accustomed. Many options were considered, and at one point the committees and board of governors even agreed to cement in a portion of the pool area to provide the needed shallow water, but that would have taken away most of the lap lanes. This plan was tabled by the board, who commented “Why ruin a perfectly wonderful pool?”
Expanding Opportunities
Over time, a solution was developed, proposed, and approved by a vote of the membership as part of the long-range “Horizon Plan.” This plan includes enlarging the indoor aquatic facility, which will provide an additional 1,133 square feet of pool space. This will also supply a much-needed and requested shallow-water play area for children, with a few spray features. The current outdoor patio will be enclosed, offering an expanded area around the pool and providing plenty of deck space for members to watch their young swimmers. The new shallow area will be tied into the current pool to take advantage of the existing pool filtration system and to minimize the impact on lifeguard operations. The new addition will tie in nicely with the existing architecture, and the floor-to-ceiling windows will be reinstalled at the newly expanded south end of the pool.
As this article was being written, jackhammers were breaking through the concrete, and the shell of the new pool area was being installed while members enjoyed the warm days of summer. This will mark the first year that members are actually excited for winter to arrive, bringing with it the opening of this expanded indoor aquatic area for all to enjoy.
Laura Altemose is the Communications and Marketing Manager for Lake Naomi Club in Pocono Pines, Penn. Reach her at laltemose@lakenaomiclub.com.