New Pictures Taken Today: Phase I of Concrete Deck Completed

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Construction Update and Q & A

Q: Members have many questions about the renovation project.  Some of the questions that members have asked this week -- did the Board really decide to go forward in January based on the advice of the contractor – who had a vested interest in getting the work? Why did it look like nothing was happening until January of this year? Did the Board make sound decisions at critical junctures? What were we thinking in hiring architects and contractors who don’t typically work in Arlington?  Did the Board and Long-Range Planning Committee who were supposed to provide oversight fail to make clear the urgency of this project?  Why, when I drive by,do I not see workers 24/7?  I am worried that I only hear about the lap pool – does this mean that the other pools aren’t going to open at all this season?

A: We understand the frustration that the project hasn’t been delivered for the start of the season, and the members’ desire to ask more pointedly for information.  We are disappointed as well.  We are also very disappointed at the mean-spirited way a few members have expressed their frustration. We again ask for your patience in this last lap of the renovation.

The plan is still for phased opening.  We focused attention in the recent announcement on the lap pool, because that is the pool that we’d planned to open first, and the pool that many members are already missing – as we would have had an extended season beginning in April if the construction were not ongoing.  As we said in an earlier Q&A, the main, social and baby pools are expected to open about 2 weeks after the lap pool.  With the delay in opening the lap pool, the main pools schedule will catch up a bit, and the difference in opening dates will likely be less than that. 

We think we did have excellent professional advice – in addition to the architect and contractors, we hired a permit expediter who works with Arlington Co. In fact, the County staff told us we should hire an expediter – they said everyone, even the developers, do. Arlington’s permitting process is difficult even for those who frequently work in Arlington.  We consulted frequently with other pools in Arlington who had recently done or are in the process of doing renovations.  In addition, a handful of members with relevant professional expertise also have contributed to the decision-making. One of the greatest permitting delays had to do with the months that the County and Overlee went back and forth over fire protection issues, that were neither related to code requirements nor to the safety of members. Those issues were ultimately resolved with the aid of several of our attorney-member volunteers.
 
The Membership approved the Construction Project in February 2011 which is when work immediately started. A tremendous amount of work was done by member volunteers prior to shovels hitting the ground in January. The work included: selecting the contractors, developing the plans, getting member feedback, determining the budget, acquiring financing, filing for permits in July 2011, hiring a permit expeditor, battling the County over the permits, determining hundreds of other details from the type of sand in the volleyball court to the details in the upstairs bathroom, and hundreds of hours of meetings to put it all together.

The trenches are dug, the gravel is laid, the infrastructure is in place – but we can’t pour the concrete if the soil is wet.  Thus,it is possible that you will drive by and not see workers.  We can’t afford to pay workers not to work – cost is a frequently-mentioned concern.  Our contractor thinks strategically about getting the different trades into the site as efficiently as possible, and finds work so as not to “lose” a subcontractor to another site if that would delay us.  He’s worked weekends, and has worked some weekends throughout the project.  The weather has been wonderfully cooperative since January, but rain, now, is a problem.  The soil has to be dry enough before we pour the concrete, and unfortunately, more rain is forecast.   We can only promise to keep you posted. We remain optimistic that we will be open in June.


Mary and others on the Board of Directors

Rain Delay

Due to the rain last week and the forecast of rain this week, the projected opening date for the Lap Pool is now mid-June. If the weather clears the contractor still expects the other pools to be open by the time Arlington Schools close.  The Board of Directors is consulting with Greg and looking at many options to try to keep the pools open expanded hours and days to help make up for the lost pool time.

Construction Update

Overlee Update
5/25/2012

Overlee families: Your board of directors would like to thank you for your patience as we move to the completion of our major pool upgrade.  We have always known that the schedule would be tight, so we appreciate the many of you who have offered encouragement and support as we move to completion.  The weather has not been cooperating with us recently.  Several days of heavy rain have put our planned phased opening back.  The major hold up is that we need to pour concrete and have our parking lot relatively clear of construction equipment before we can get county approval to open our lap pool.  We have been working hard toward that goal.  We have been in daily contact with our contractor, and with his subcontractors and have weekly construction updates with Harry, our contractor, and Eleanor, our architect.  Ultimately, it was the assessment of the professionals that the concrete pour would require dryer conditions.  The best estimate is that we have lost a week to 10 days on our completion schedule.  We are still planning a phased opening, as soon as safety permits.  We have prepared contingency staffing plans for various completion dates.

A small number of members have inquired about refunds.  We ask everyone to remember that this is a community association and that we depend on each other as members to fund both the construction project and to bear the risks associated with this major upgrade.  Put simply, there is no money in the budget for refunds.  That said, we expect that once the pool is open we should be able to extend hours in both the morning and the evening to give members the maximum opportunity to enjoy our new pool.

We thank you all for the patience and understanding you have shown so far.  We are especially thankful for the volunteers who have contributed literally thousands of hours to this project on your behalf.  We were delighted by the reaction of those who came to our open house in April.  We are all disappointed that the project has not been finished in time for our traditional Memorial Day opening, but we're committed to providing a top notch facility for our members to enjoy for many years to come.   

Construction Update

Q: When, when, when?

A: We are on target to open the first week of June. Three major pieces of work remain before we can open the lap pool and bathhouse. One, we need to complete the storm water management system that involves burying tanks and drains under the front parking lot and front driveway. That work must be complete so that vehicles (and our members) can have safe access. Two, we need to pour the concrete pool deck – that will happen in 4 or 5 phases, beginning with the far side of the pool, near the volleyball court. It’s like painting the floor of a room – you need to start in a corner and finish at the door. The ”door,” where trucks have level access to the site, is right near the back gate. Finishing this major piece of work will allow the contractor to pull most of the equipment out of the way of the lower parking area and away from the back gate, so we can safely enter there. Third, we need to install fencing to enclose the pool, and to temporarily enclose the ongoing construction. When these pieces are in place, we should be able to pass the building permit and health department inspections mentioned in earlier Q&As.



Workers are installing the “coping tile,” which finishes the edge of the pool.  This tile must be in place before we pour the concrete for the pool deck.



The new volleyball court is at the far end of the pool, near its old location.  Like the pools, it will be brand new.  Workers are raking the truckloads of new sand.



This trench is alongside the lap pool – where we used to have perpendicular parking.  Workers are installing part of the storm water management system that is mandated by the Chesapeake Bay Act.  We will patch the parking lot when they finish in about 2 weeks.



This is the front drive – you can see the steps to the front desk.  This is also part of the storm water management system that we must install.  The small shingled building is the pump house – notice the small round windows, those came from the old clubhouse. 

Q: When does Overlee open?

A: As soon as we can! Our best estimate is that all of the moving pieces of construction and permit inspections will come together during the first week of June. If we can open safely sooner, we will. Check back for updates – the best and only source of accurate information is an all-OVL email, or this site.

Opening Dates and Other FAQs

Q: When will Overlee open?

A: We project early June for the lap pool and bath house, perhaps two weeks later for the main pool (which will include main, social and baby pool, volleyball court, deck and two of the 3 terraces -- the topmost deck will be part of the clubhouse construction zone.) If we can open the pools earlier, by Memorial Day, we will. However, we think that is doubtful now. We need Dominion Power to restore the power -- they tell us that it takes about 30 days from when they get a work order to restore power, and we hope to get that work order this week – April 30 or May 1.
The Clubhouse will not open during the season. The permit process and the design changes (to bring the project back within budget) have just taken too long. We need members to volunteer to develop work-arounds for the social season. We are thinking that tailgates, food vendor trucks, etc., might make some social events feasible. There will be a board contact coordinating this committee, but the committee will need member volunteers. Contact social chair Liz Shipley to volunteer.

Q: What needs to happen before we can open?

A: The lap pool is full, but the new pumps and filters are not running yet. We will pour the new concrete deck in two weeks, and we will put the white-coat of plaster on the new pools as soon as we have power. We need power to run the filters, the lights, the phones. Once we have power, we can do opening cleaning and set-up. Every year, we need an inspection from the county in order to open, and this year is no different. The County has already contacted us to begin our inspections for "phased openings," so we are confident they will work with us, as promised, to allow phased opening as described.

Q: How are we doing against the budget for this project?

A: We are doing pretty well. There were minor increased costs for hauling additional soil away, for improved dive boards, for slightly nicer light fixtures and poles, for changes such as an additional fence to enclose the pump house steps. We were not able to eliminate a storm water system in the lower parking lot. But, the additional costs are well within the reserve we'd maintained.

Q: How can we gear up for the season when we don’t have a facility for meetings or trainings?

A: We have hired staff and lifeguard training is being run at Lee Graham pool. We have had swim team parent meetings and board meetings at Yorktown high, and swim and dive teams will have pre-season practices there as well. We are working through new rules for the new spaces.

Q: What are the new rules?

A: We are trying to anticipate new operational rules for the new space. We know there will likely be changes in our policies during the season too, as we adjust to the new space and decide what does and doesn't work. We are a community association of 800 families, and the Board tries to accommodate all of the diverse voices of our membership.

Updated Site Plan Design

Updated detailed design view of the three new pools. 

Click Here for High Res Design

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Major Progress Continues

Main Pool w/ new Pump House

Another view of Main Pool

Social Pool by the new Wall

New Baby Pool



Photo Credits to Dunia

Latest Site Plan

See the New Overlee Site Plan by clicking on the below link.  This is the plan as of January 2012.  You can see where the new main pool, social pool, and baby pool will be built.  Also notice the stadium seating leading up to the new clubhouse.

Note: The design at the below link shows where a slide might be placed at some time in the future.  There will not be a slide for the 2012 Summer Season.

Click here for the Overlee Site Plan as of January 2012

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Construction Update

Arlington is on Spring Break, but our Overlee construction crew is NOT.

Next week, the contractor will be installing the concrete shells of the new main pool and social pool. The new design will be more evident then, and we'll post pictures when that step is complete. In addition, the concrete base of the new retaining wall is complete, and stone masons will begin putting the stone face up next week. Work on the pump house will continue.
There's also been progress on important steps that we can't see, but move the project forward. All of the revised plans are pending with the County, and we have addressed the minor comments we received from County staff. We have reviewed all of the equipment specifications and equipment is on order -- from the pumps, filters, and the storm water management system to the new light poles, lifeguard chairs, and backstroke flags.

The weather has been beautifully cooperative, the "Overrlee ghost" stories in the papers haven't scared away any more workers, and, most important, the work has proceeded safely and on budget. We are confident that the phased opening of the pools beginning at the end of May is still a realistic goal. The warm weather and the project taking shape is heightening our anticipation for the coming season -- we can hardly wait!

More Questions and Answers

Q: Will my Overlee dues be pro-rated if the pool does not open on Memorial Day?

A: During the 2012 season, members will not receive a rebate of dues, even if the pool opening is delayed. Dues were set in the annual budget approved by the membership in our annual meeting. Although there may be some marginal savings in hourly employee pay and utilities, the majority of our remaining costs are fixed -- for example, insurance, taxes, maintenance. If an unanticipated substantial delay creates a windfall in unexpended funds, the Board will consider that in future financial decisions.

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Q: Will there be reciprocity at other pools for Overlee members if our opening is delayed?

A: We expect that our members will be welcome as guests at many neighboring pools, but will be expected to pay entrance fees and come as the guest of a member of that host pool. We have also asked that the County work with us to explore preferential admission to County facilites or Upton Hills Regional Park if we are substantially delayed. Alhough we are planning for the contingency of a late opening, our primary energies are directed to keeping the rennovation on schedule. We plan to open in phases -- the lap pool and bathhouse first, by Memorial Day, and the main pool, new social pool and baby pool as soon thereafter as possible. The Clubhouse and upper decks will be the final phase, opening in the middle of the season. We will be better able to set firm dates in the coming weeks, as more of the project milestones are completed. Please check back -- the website will have the most current information.

Update From Harry - 1

Springing Forward on the Pool Construction!

It’s been an exciting few weeks for the community and for our team at the job site. I wanted to provide a brief recap of the project to keep everyone up-to-date.

• Demolition is now complete! Things went as well as we could expect during the demo process and we’re now focused on building back up!
• The team is currently excavating the site to prepare for the pools. You should really start to see the new layout of the site coming to shape now.
• We are prepping and pouring footings for the new retaining wall. We want to make sure everything is as structurally sound as possible to support the community for decades to come.
• Site utilities are on the way. We’re working on getting the temporary electrical in place, the storm water drainage, etc. to keep the site running smooth.

The summary of it all, we’re working hard to get the pools in place! Things are moving along as quickly as we can push them, but we are waiting on some revised drawings coming back from the County’s review.

With the clocks set forward and the weather breaking into the 70s, we’re anxious to get this project completed as soon as possible and get your community back in the water.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns!

Harry Braswell

Kimberly Carr, LEED AP

Harry Braswell, Inc.
703-836-1776 x111

Questions from Members

Can you tell me when you expect the baby pool to open this summer?

The baby pool is part of the general pool construction portion of the project that includes the main pool and the new social pool (i.e. basically everything except for the clubhouse and surrounding upper deck area) and is scheduled to be completed in early to mid-June.  Our plan calls for a phased opening of Overlee: first, the lap pool and bathhouse (which are not part of the project), followed by the main pool, baby pool, social pool and pool deck areas when they are completed, and then the clubhouse and upper deck area, which is scheduled to be completed in mid-July.

I would like to know when we will hear about the potential effects of the construction on the swim team season.

The Board has been working on developing contingency plans. From a project construction standpoint, we are scheduled to complete the main pool by early to mid-June, before the heavier use of the pool traditionally commences.  Our plan, is to have a phased opening of Overlee: first the bathhouse and the lap pool well in advance of Memorial Day weekend, followed by the main pool when it is completed, followed by the clubhouse, probably in mid-July or so.  This will involve coordination on several fronts but will allow us to maximize the use of Overlee to the extent construction and safety considerations allow.

We are hopeful that the effect of the permitting delays on the swim team will be modest.  As you know, the bulk of the swim practices during the preseason take place in the lap pool because it is heated.  To the extent the lap pool will be more heavily utilized this year because of the construction on the main pool, the Board along with coaches have made alternative arrangements to reserve pool time at Yorktown for swim practices.  That was true even in prior years when no construction was involved before we installed a heater in the lap pool.  The real challenge arises if our construction, which is now proceeding full speed ahead, is delayed further and cannot be completed before school ends.  Right now, we don't see that happening.

It’s good to read your update, and I really appreciate all your hard work to make this renovation happen.

But I have to say it’s very disconcerting to have driven past Overlee in the course of other errands for three days running now (including two hours ago, about 3 pm today, February 22) and seen absolutely nothing happening and no one on the site despite the fine weather and despite it being a weekday.

First of all, let me assure you our general contractor is charging full speed ahead.  There can be any number of reasons why you did not see activity when you drove by.

First, construction crews tend to start early.  When I arrived at my weekly 7 am meeting this morning with Harry Braswell, the general contractor, the architects and members of the Overlee Long Range Planning Committe, Harry's crew was already starting work.  That has been the case each time.  Thus, it wouldn't surprise me if their regular workday ends at 3 or 4 in the afternoon.  If they work beyond their usual 8-hour workday, Harry (and indirectly Overlee) will have to pay overtime, which increases our costs enormously.  To date have not authorized Harry to charge us for overtime.  We're trying to strike a balance between facilitating the work as best we can but still stay within budget.  Thus, we're waiting to see where things stand in late March/early April before determining whether we want to authorize overtime. Harry and his crew have already worked some weekends to try and make up for some lost time.

Second, there are a number of specialists involved with any construction project besides simply the folks who drive bulldozers or perform other more visible tasks.  We have civil engineers, mechanical engineers, soil testing personnel, electricians, plumbing and drainage experts, the excavation and demolition crews, the cement contractor, the pool subcontractor and all of his sub-specialties, etc.  Oftentimes, certain work can't proceed until other, perhaps less visible, work has been performed.  Again, that's why any construction project has a general contractor to manage all of these disparate pieces.  As any general contractor will tell you, they do not want to be micromanaged and instead, want to be evaluated on the end result, meaning the final product and whether they've met the agreed-up deadlines.  We promised Harry we would adhere to that approach.

I hope that addresses your questions.  I really can't emphasize enough that, of all of the challenges we have faced and things we have had to worry about in connection with this project, our general contractor and his ability and willingness to do his job well and expeditiously are not on that list.  Along with the unseasonably mild winter, we are extremely fortunate to have him working for us.

Building Permits Approved

The Overlee Long Range Planning Committee took a big step forward this week by getting the County to approve the building permits for both the pool and the clubhouse.


http://permits.arlingtonva.us/…..r=B1101844

http://permits.arlingtonva.us/…..r=B1102125

Clubhouse Demo

Photo credits to Dunia Pasternak

Build Update Feb 9

From the far edge of tetherball area

Clearing and grading

From snack shack to Lee Highway

Clubhouse salvage- Floor joists

More machines

Pool Demolition Photos

Click for full size images

Photo credits to Dunia Pasternak

More Pics from the pool