[rubicon]

I would suggest that if people are really interested in an indoor pool one manner in determining their true interest is to form a committee to privately fund the project and sell memberships. I am certain that some enterprising individual is eager to build an indoor pool here in Florida and reap great profits.

I say this because it is easy to say yea I want an indoor pool if you have little or no skin in the game

[Sparty6971]

Not only are there costs to "heat" an indoor facility - and no the heated water would not keep the ambient air warm like some would like in Nov - Mar - there is also the cost of air conditioning that same facility in the Jun - Sept time period. Open windows for cooling? Really? How does that work in your house, without a heated pool of water in the middle of it?

Secondly and what I think is being forgotten by many that might use the El Santiago pool for other than lap swimming... Where will you go if you don't want a more regimented lap swim time but would rather just be in the water talking with friends like many do in "our" Santiago pool now.

Third, and I have not heard this worry at all yet. The El Santiago pool is one of very few "Family" pools in the area. When the kids and grand-kids come to visit, where will they go to swim? Down south a few miles? Up near Rte 42? Better not forget this little nice thing about your community.

If you want an indoor pool for lap swimming and for a Villages Swim Club, build a new one or take an existing adult or sports someplace where is more than one pool nearby.

[Love2Swim]

Originally Posted by Mudder

To maintain an indoor pool with decent air quality is very tricky and a great expense.
Yesterday afternoon at about 4 PM I went swimming at Lake Miona sports pool, air was chilly, pool water was perfect for lap swimming. Yes, getting out was a bit chilly but I quickly go to locker room and take a hot shower. Perfect.
When we first moved to Florida about 20 years ago we were appalled that there were no indoor tennis courts, then we quickly figured it all out. The few days a year when the courts are wet and we can't play we use those days as body recovery days.
There is a reason MVP didn't include an indoor pool at their new facility near Brownwood. Cost to operate vs membership willingness to pay.
I am a lap swimmer, but if I can't swim a few days a year I just let it go. Same with tennis or any other outdoor sport, it will not kill you if you miss a few days. Relax.

Actually, for some swimmers the air temperature is a problem, but for many, it is the effect of the sun's rays that is problematic. As most know, the water is a super reflector of the sun and of course when you're swimming in a swimsuit, its difficult to cover up all the body parts. Many people our age are fighting skin cancer. Those who play golf can slather on the sunscreen, wear a visor, spend time under the roof of their golf cart, but when you're out in the water, the sunscreen doesn't stay on, and you're at risk of sun exposure. The sun exposure is year round.

As an aside, I heard from a good source(an employee), one of the reasons that MVP didn't put in the pool. That reason had to do with "old people peeing in the pool."

The costs for heating an indoor pool are going to be less than heating those outdoor pools. Maybe the savings in heating costs would offset any increase in maintenance costs? Just wondering.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by Love2Swim

Actually, for some swimmers the air temperature is a problem, but for many, it is the effect of the sun's rays that is problematic. As most know, the water is a super reflector of the sun and of course when you're swimming in a swimsuit, its difficult to cover up all the body parts. Many people our age are fighting skin cancer. Those who play golf can slather on the sunscreen, wear a visor, spend time under the roof of their golf cart, but when you're out in the water, the sunscreen doesn't stay on, and you're at risk of sun exposure. The sun exposure is year round.

As an aside, I heard from a good source(an employee), one of the reasons that MVP didn't put in the pool. That reason had to do with "old people peeing in the pool."

The costs for heating an indoor pool are going to be less than heating those outdoor pools. Maybe the savings in heating costs would offset any increase in maintenance costs? Just wondering.

Love2swim: when I wrote you I knew that but did not want to introduce that information. But since you opened the door quite honestly I had heard from trainers at the Wellness Center that there had been complaints of a bigger problem then just urine at the shower, spas, etc.

It is the reason I will not go in a pool nor shower at the gym here.

As for heating pools i suspect with the extreme heat we get from May until October that TV doesn't use much heat if any

[sunnyatlast]

Regarding the above mentions of MVP and why they supposedly didn't include an indoor pool, this is what the Spanish Springs membership sales rep told me 2 years ago, AND what the Brownwood sales rep told me 6 months ago when I toured and concluded saying I'd join in a heartbeat IF it had an indoor lap pool:

"Lack of an indoor lap pool is the #1 reason we hear from villagers for not joining, and we hear it all the time from the members. But MVP's not including it."

Lack of interest is not the reason for not having an indoor pool there. And conjecture about the former wellness center pool at the hospital being too expensive to operate probably had more to do with its mechanical and chemical control systems that were old or antiquated--THAT can be seen at the dank Leesburg hospital wellness center pool--NOT something from this century's technology/construction!!

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

Regarding "it would not be right to increase the amenity fee of those who do no want/need to use such a facility", what about the tens of thousands of people here who do not play golf and do not use the executive golf courses?? A friend who's a TV sales rep told me in conversation (not sales pitch) that only 40% of TV residents are golfers (and undoubtedly, a good share of them play only occasionally, if at all).

!

The fact is they knew what the amenity fee was before they bought.......and knew they were not going to use the golf courses. And accepted that fact.
Analogy doesn't work...............

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Love2Swim

I question if that is really the reason they did away with the indoor pool. Why would an indoor pool be more expensive to maintain than any other pool? Its all about maintaining the level of chemicals and keeping the pumps and filters running. If anything it would be easier. The pumps and filters are inside in a temperature controlled environment and not subject to the temperature extremes that the outdoor pools encounter.



Is it possible they had a use for the space that the indoor pool occupied that would generate more income?

In fact it is more difficult and costly to maintain an indoor pool. You are forgetting the damage done by the chemicals and humidity not only to the building interior but also to the HVAC systems.

[Topspinmo]

Why don't we just cover the villages and every thing will be indoor
This would be extra charge by the user right? Just like if I want to play championship golf I pay extra or if I want to play tennis on clay I pay extra. So IMO if you can't use the pools in the florida sunshine you should pay extra like all the rest of us. "O" how about we cover so pickleball courts too!

[rubicon]

How many outside pools in TV? What % of the population use them? How many residents pay extra for country club pools? How many residents pay for priority golf? How many dropped priority golf because they found it was not a value for them?

Ask yourself why is it that those developing this community and to whom many residents believe are great visionaries when planning this community left out indoor pools? (see above)

Those indoor pool proponents making a comparison of paying amenity fees but not golfing need to be reminded that this retirement community is centered and has continually been advertised as a golf community.

[Shadow8IA]

Originally Posted by Greg Nelson

Newbee here! With these freezing temps I'm not going to put on my wet suit to do water aerobics. Del Webb's got a nice indoor pool, and they have whirlpools, steam rooms and saunas ...can't find them here! But even Del Webb, which we stayed at, their indoor pool was not overcrowded, BUT!! they claim to be only a third done with their development!

I'm not sure about all Del Webbs but we stayed at Del Webb in Davenport for a few nights last winter and the outdoor pool is not heated which is why we're not buying a home there. When we sat around the pool in Feb. people would go back and forth to swim indoors and outdoors to lay around the pool. No one could use the outdoor pool.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by rubicon

How many outside pools in TV? What % of the population use them? How many residents pay extra for country club pools? How many residents pay for priority golf? How many dropped priority golf because they found it was not a value for them?

Ask yourself why is it that those developing this community and to whom many residents believe are great visionaries when planning this community left out indoor pools? (see above)

Those indoor pool proponents making a comparison of paying amenity fees but not golfing need to be reminded that this retirement community is centered and has continually been advertised as a golf community.

Makes sense.

[zonerboy]

Don't particularly care about having an indoor pool.
I'd much prefer to have an indoor gymnasium with real basketball courts.

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by zonerboy

Don't particularly care about having an indoor pool.
I'd much prefer to have an indoor gymnasium with real basketball courts.

According to the last sentence of post #84 and others above, you knew when you bought here that this is advertised as a golf community, so forget about indoor basketball with regulation courts, flooring and goals.

(Never mind that this "golf community" has 2,267 clubs, performing groups, and athletic teams in almost any sport played in North America, because they all have participants who want and like to do them.)

The Villages Club Listing:

http://www.districtgov.org/images/clubslisting.pdf

……..

[Greg Nelson]

I would guess that Del Webb knows what is offered at TV and hence the indoor pool. Yesterday, just for the fun of it after getting the frost off, I went by Mulberry's pool to see if ANYONE was there. Nope, only the steam coming off the pool. My water aerobics class was not there. Tod Pope was nice enough to give us a home tour even the old side where they are selling furnished new homes. The prices were very reasonable! But, for NOW, we will rent. Having sold our Mexico home we are thinking that owning two homes is just too costly. We have a beautiful Minnesota lake home (Cormorant Park Place Estates) that is wonderful in the summer and close to my kids and grand kids and long time friends. We're currently thinking that next 'season' we'll be back here for November and December, and then three months on Venice Island. But who knows?????

[zonerboy]

Actually, I have no expectations regarding the indoor gymnasium mentioned above.
However......a few years back I lived briefly in Plainfield, IN, a small town (population 28,000) outside of Indianapolis. The Parks and Recreation department there built a wonderful facility for residents which featured both indoor and outdoor pools (2 of each), a large basketball court with retractable backboards where 6 half court games could be played simultaneously. These courts could also be switched over to facilitate indoor volleyball. Above and surrounding the perimeter of these courts was an indoor running/walking track. There was also a large exercise facility with free weights, Nautilus machines, and a large variety of exercise bikes, treadmills, ellipticals and so forth. In addition, there were a number of meeting rooms, some with kitchen facilities to accommodate bithday piarties, special events,etc.
But, as far as I remember, Plainfield did not have a municipal golf course.
My point is simply that almost anything can be accomplished if there are enough people willing to support it.