Operators of local pool say it may be closed because of new rules requiring lifeguards
The operators of Lexington Athletic Club say new state regulations regarding lifeguards may lead to their pool being closed.
The new regulations require pools with 2,000 square feet or more of water surface area to have lifeguards, but the club said in a statement posted on its website that lifeguards are not cost-effective or needed at their facility.
Kevin Hall, communications officer for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, said in a statement Friday that the health department is continuing “to work with the facility’s management to ensure they are up to compliance with a state regulation regarding lifeguards.”
Lexington Athletic Club says in the statement that it was granted a 30-day extension which is coming to an end.
“Barring a last-minute exemption,” the club said, “the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department says they will close our pool on August 10.”
LAC estimates that it would cost the club nearly $200,000 a year to hire lifeguards, once a supervisor, benefits, substitutes and other expenses were included, according to the statement.
Previous regulations did not require lifeguards at pools that don’t allow kids under 17 in without an adult. The club said it does not permit unaccompanied kids, so it hasn’t had to hire lifeguards before.
LAC said it has not had a “safety incident” in 36 years of operating the pool.
“While this new regulation may be a safety improvement for water parks or pools with deep ends and diving boards or other hazards, it unfairly lumps a lap swimming pool like ours into the same category,” the statement says.
The statement said “LAC believes this new regulation is a drastic overreach for a pool like ours...”.
The club said on the website that it would not provide further comments to the media about the issue, and a call to the facility was not returned.
LAC member Stewart Peoples said in a phone interview that the pool was one of the primary reasons he decided to join LAC, since there are few facilities in Lexington with private indoor pools.
He said it’s used by competitive swimmers for practice, moms with youngsters learning to swim and seniors for whom it became a meeting place. Peoples said the pool is the only amenity some LAC members use, especially those who aren’t able to do more strenuous activities like lifting weights or walking on the track.
“It’s kept warm. It’s kept clean,” he said. “It is very nice, and that’s part of the price that you pay.”
If the pool is closed, Peoples wonders whether he’ll still be locked in to his three-year contract or if rates will be lowered.
“We’re trying to find out what our options are,” he said.
Several people commented on the club’s Facebook page, saying they were upset and disappointed.
“Call your state elected representatives and express your dismay over the closing of our pool,” Fredrick R. Jackson wrote on the page. “This is a state regulation that needs to be revised.”
Jackson said in an interview that as a member of the gym, he understands and accepts the risks associated with using it.
“It takes away freedom from people that are used to being able to take care of themselves,” he said of the regulation change. “Rules are written by bureaucrats. Sometimes they don’t understand the ramifications of what they’re doing until it happens.”
This story was originally published August 5, 2023 at 3:59 PM.
