By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
When the Seven Lakes’ northside pool opened in time for the Fourth of July holiday, many residents were simply happy to be swimming. The delayed opening followed a months-long series of planned improvements, unexpected equipment failures and volunteer efforts.
The routine resurfacing project turned into a lesson in the challenges and triumphs of property maintenance.
Through the various setbacks and achievements, the Seven Lakes Landowners Association Board — to borrow the famous advice from Dory, the blue tang fish in Finding Nemo — “just kept swimming.”
Earlier this year, the SLLA identified a necessary repair project concerning the community pool. The aging facility, which was leaking over 1,000 gallons of water each day, required resurfacing. The board reported in January that funds needed were included in the proposed 2026-2027 operating budget.
The resurfacing itself proceeded largely as planned. Fresh plaster was applied in April, and volunteers, including members of the West End Fire Department, helped refill the pool using donated fire hoses, saving the association an estimated $8,000 in water hauling costs.
Residents also volunteered to monitor the curing plaster, clean the pool area and prepare the facility. The board initially anticipated opening the pool by Memorial Day weekend, but a series of unrelated setbacks extended the timeline until the Fourth of July holiday.
Then came a series of unrelated setbacks.
According to board president Charlotte Kennedy, once the resurfacing work was complete, the board encountered unanticipated mechanical and operational issues.
Additional water treatment was needed after the refill. A pool pump failed unexpectedly and had to be replaced and electrical modifications were required to bring the system into compliance with safety requirements.
Once the pool finally opened, a broken chlorine filter cap briefly forced another closure while repairs were completed.
Kennedy emphasized that these issues occurred after the resurfacing project and were separate from the plaster work itself.
Despite the delays, Kennedy said the unexpected repairs remained within the community’s operating budget.
“We do have an operating budget that’s supposed to take care of these kinds of problems,” Kennedy said. She also noted that while the association is carefully managing expenses because of the upcoming Sequoia Lake bottom drain project, funds had been set aside for routine maintenance and unforeseen repairs.
Kennedy compared the experience to maintaining an older home. “You fix one thing, and sometimes something completely unrelated decides that’s the day it’s going to quit,” she said. “We’re just trying our best, and sometimes things happen that are beyond our control.”
The pool opening also prompted discussion about how the community operates. In an effort to reduce operating expenses, the board initially decided to open the pool without attendants. After hearing concerns from residents and observing the first weekends of operation, board members revisited the decision and approved hiring pool attendants for the remainder of the season.
Kennedy said the experience demonstrates that constructive resident feedback plays an important role in board decision-making.
“We thought it would be best to maybe go without the pool attendant,” she said. “Then we found out quickly that there are people who do care about the attendant. It’s good that they came to help us make that decision.”
While the attendants are not lifeguards, Kennedy said their presence helps monitor the facility, encourage adherence to the pool rules and provide an added level of oversight that many residents said they appreciated.
The pool is operating on its regular summer schedule. The facility opens at 1 pm on Mondays to accommodate weekly maintenance. Tuesday through Friday, the pool is open to all residents beginning at noon, with mornings dedicated to swim lessons and water fitness classes. Weekend hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The season typically ends on Labor Day. Kenndy hopes residents remember the community effort that helped bring the project to completion and not only the delays.
Looking back, Kennedy hopes residents remember the community effort to maintain a favorite amenity and not just the delays they experienced. Caring for the community and its amenities is a shared responsibility. “Things happen along the way,” she said. “You’te going to have good and bad. We’re just trying our best.”
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
