Summer bummer: SRSP pool stays closed

For fourth year, Olympic-size pool shut down for repairs


The SRSP pool waterslide

For a fourth consecutive year, the Olympic-size swimming pool at Staunton River State Park — Halifax County’s only public outdoor pool — will be closed this summer.

After it was shut down in spring 2020 due to the pandemic, the SRSP pool has remained closed due to maintenance issues and needed repairs that have only gotten more expensive with the passage of time.

An engineering analysis in early 2022 concluded that the pool is plagued by electrical issues which will require the replacement of internal systems. Reopening the pool also will require it to be brought up to current building code.

The engineering study, conducted for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, which operates Virginia State Parks, pegged the cost of reopening the pool at $2.8 million. DCR officials say that amount has risen since 2022 due to inflation and other factors.

“That analysis showed some safety concerns and additional repair issues before we could reopen [the pool],” said Dave Neudeck, DCR Communications and Marketing Director. “It remains closed as the park system has looked into best [methods] moving forward. These are things that have changed through the years.”

DCR does not have money in its budget to address the problem, Neudeck said. “It’s still completely on hold. A lot of it has to do with funding, having the adequate funding to address the repairs. It’s all part of the big picture.”

There is no timetable for when the pool may be reopened, he said.

The SRPS pool — with its water slide, toddler play area, and concessions building and changing rooms — has long been one of the park’s most popular summertime attractions. The Olympic-size pool dates back to at least the mid-1960s, when it was featured on park postcards. Staunton River State Park, which opened in 1936, is one of the six original sites that formed the Virginia State Parks system. It was built through the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) program.

Today, Staunton River State Park features multiple boat launches, hiking and equestrian trails over 2,400 acres of open and wooded land, camping and cabin rentals, a disc golf course, picnic shelters, playgrounds, tennis courts and other amenities. In 2015, SRSP was named an International Dark Sky Park for its ideal stargazing conditions, becoming the first site in the Virginia State Parks system to earn the designation.

SRSP is open year-round; the park swimming pool, when in operation, traditionally is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

In addition to lack of movement on pool repairs, DCR also has not pushed forward with determining the future public use of the roughly 7,400 acre Falkland Farms property, which adjoins Staunton River State Park. The one-time hunting lodge estate was given to DCR in 2021 by internet billionaire Tim Sweeney of Fortnite fame. Sweeney, a Cary, N.C. resident and longtime land conservationist, purchased Falkland Farms in 2019 for $11.5 million, and later handed over the property to DCR so it would be preserved in perpetuity as natural space.

DCR officials have said a portion of Falkland Farms will be added to Staunton River State Park, with some parts remaining off-limits as conservation lands. However, the department has not embarked on a master planning process to obtain public input in the future use of the massive land tract.

In the meantime, Staunton River State Park heads into the summer season with daily hours of 8 a.m.-10 p.m. In addition to the park’s amenities, SRSP provides canoe and kayak rentals through a third-party vendor, Hazel Branch Outfitters. The rental business can be reached via its website, hazelbranchoutfitters.com, or via Facebook at Hazel Branch Outfitters LLC.

For park updates, visit www.drc.virginia.gov.

 

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