WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — WPTV is continuing to find solutions on the public pool drought in the city of Lake Worth Beach.
Area residents are raising concerns to us about their limited access to public swimming pools, as this was the first summer without both the municipal pool by the beach, and the pool at Lake Worth Community High School.
WATCH BELOW: 'Lake Worth doesn't have a pool right now,' Bob Southerland tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
The issue has come to light following a WPTV report on Friday where our team was digging into the delays in constructing the YMCA at Lake Lytal Park and uncovered how many people are commuting to the park.
Numerous locals shared their frustrations, noting that they often have to travel long distances to find a public pool.
Resident Wes Blackman voiced his sentiments.
"The Lake Worth Beach pool closed; I used to go there, and this was the only nearby pool," he said.
With the closest public option being the Lake Lytal Aquatic Center in West Palm Beach, about 15 minutes away from the recently demolished Lake Worth Community High School pool, residents are feeling the strain.
"I come to the pool maybe three or four days a week, maybe five," emphasizing the routine he's adapted to while acknowledging his commute isn't as bad as others who live deeper into the city.
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The pool at Lake Worth Community High School was demolished in July after it closed indefinitely from an iguana infestation, that the School District of Palm Beach County said was too much for the pool's old equipment to keep up with, and too expensive.
A month later, School Board Member Erica Whitfield proposed a partnership to Lake Worth Beach city commissioners, suggesting funding for a new Olympic-sized pool at the Lake Worth Community High School practice facility.
The School District of Palm Beach County would invest $8.5 million into funding the joint effort project. The City of Lake Worth Beach would then invest about $6 million, that the city manager said the city has available in funds. City commissioners have yet to make a decision, leaving the future of a replacement, public pool in Lake Worth Beach in limbo.
Another Lake Worth Beach resident, Bob Southerland, expressed his frustration over the lack of swimming facilities.
"Lake Worth doesn't have a pool right now," he said. "Like you reported recently, the Lake Worth Community the school bulldozed their pool, and our town pool hasn't been working for years and years and years."
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Southerland, a dedicated swimmer, now relies on Lake Lytal Pool, stating that he often has to travel to Wellington on Sundays, as it is the only facility open at that time.
Concerns are mounting as the county plans to rebuild the Lake Lytal Pool, with construction expected to begin this November.
Southerland highlighted the situation at Lake Lytal.
"It's already used a lot in the summer; if you were to come here, this place is full," he said. "There are school buses here, there are all sorts of camps that utilize this facility."
"It would be great if they broke ground tomorrow and we had a pool that the community could use a year from now," he further noted.
WPTV worked to get answers from the county, which confirmed that the new aquatic center is being built in a different location within Lake Lytal Park.
This means the current pool will remain open until the new facility is ready.
Blackman commented on the importance of public access.
"To have that open to the public is fantastic," he said.
The Lake Lytal project is an innovative public-nonprofit partnership between Palm Beach County and the YMCA, aimed at benefiting residents throughout the county.
The construction cost for the Aquatic Center is estimated to be $35,671,194. The project is fully designed and awaits review and approval from the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners.
If all goes according to plan, Parks and Recreation is tentatively looking at November 1 for the notice to proceed, with mobilization starting shortly thereafter.
"The pool for me has always been my go-to, I always feel like a million bucks when I get out," said Southerland.
The entire project is expected to take 18 months to complete.
Read more of WPTV's related coverage below:
Region C Palm Beach County
This is when the new state-of-the art YMCA is expected to open
Lake Worth Beach
Could a new Olympic-sized pool come to Lake Worth Beach?
Lake Worth Beach
'Please do something': Lake Worth High pool demolition sparks calls for change
Lake Worth Beach
