Avonworth swimming pool to open Saturday

&emsp;&emsp;The Avonworth Community Park swimming pool will open Saturday to grateful sunbathers who have no place else to go, thanks to the pandemic and some infrastructure issues.&emsp;&emsp;Both Avalon and Bellevue announced last month that their pools would not open this summer due to concerns about COVID-19. In Avalon, officials planned to close the pool early for locker room renovation, and said it would be too expensive to open and staff the facility for a shortened season in addition to meeting the guidelines for safe operating. Bellevue has taken no steps yet to repair a water line at Memorial Park, or to repair concrete and paint the pool. Allegheny County also has announced that no swimming pools in any of the county parks will open this summer due to the pandemic.&emsp;&emsp;Opening pools is permitted in the Green Phase of the Pennsylvania reopening plan, although both pool operators and the public will have to meet some social distancing rules.&emsp;&emsp;At the Avonworth pool located at the community park on Camp Horne Road, the number of people allowed to enter at one time will be watched carefully. The park and pool are operated by a municipal authority that has representatives of all five Avonworth communities. Pool chair Tammy Bellotti said that they determined the maximum capacity of the pool based on county guidelines that measure the deck and grassy areas in addition to the pool surface. Bellotti said that she has never seen the pool reach its maximum capacity. To be on the safe side, the committee decided it would set the maximum capacity for this summer at half the normal capacity, and then lower it a bit more. The number of people admitted to the pool could be fluid, she said, as they will watch to see how social distancing works out. If necessary, the number of people could be reduced, or it could be increased depending on what the volunteers and staff observe.&emsp;&emsp;Season pass holders will get first dibs on making it through the gate. The park offered "Loyalty Passes" to 2019 pass holders before opening pass sales first to Avonworth residents and then to nonresidents. Pass holders will be allowed to use the pool an hour earlier than anyone else, from noon until 1 p.m., and daily admissions will be accepted as space allows. Bellotti said that so far the largest pass holders group has been those who purchased the Loyalty Passes.&emsp;&emsp;The showers and locker rooms will not be open this summer, although restroom facilities will be open and cleaned on a regular basis, and lifeguard stations will be sanitized between guard changes. There will be signs posted throughout the area reminding the public about social distancing.&emsp;&emsp;"The response from the community and surrounding areas has been overwhelmingly positive," Bellotti said. "Everyone has been appreciative of our efforts. This has been an enormous undertaking and not something that could have been done without the support of our executive board, pool managers and park staff. Everyone has been fantastic."