By Carol Britton Meyer, March 21st 2019
Even as the deteriorating South Shore Country Club pool is being prepped for another season, fundraising efforts for a new all-season pool and athletic facility are underway.
The current pool — built in the 1950’s — is in bad shape, and the planning process is moving forward pending partial funding for the design stage and construction documents provided through the Community Preservation Act and supplemented by a matching fundraising campaign by the Friends of the South Shore Country Club. The Club is under town ownership.
“This is called an improvement project because the overall club will improve — it’s not just about a new pool,” said Friends founder and president Warren Pelissier. “When the current pool is taken down, we’ll be able to reclaim that space and put a putting green near the first hole and create a short game practice area also near the first hole.” The plan calls for both an indoor and outdoor pool.
The plan also includes building a facility for maintenance and golf carts with the intention of eventually moving toward buying electric carts. This would not only result in a cost savings but would also have a positive impact on the environment, he said.
Friends group
The 16-member non-profit Friends group was created three years ago. “Our mission is to help preserve and add value to one of our town’s most prized assets, South Shore Country Club,” Pelissier explained.
The Friends receive direction from the Country Club Management Committee, chaired by Christine Smith — who replaces longtime chairman Bill Friend, who remains a member of the Committee. Other members are Sue Sullivan and Jack Bailey. Following the resignation of Rod Gaskell, a new member is expected to be appointed in the near future by the Selectmen, Smith said.
More than six years ago the Committee determined that the pool was failing, and engineers have confirmed that after repairs are made for the 2019 season there may be only one or two seasons left when it can be used.
“A town survey was carried out about six years ago that indicated that citizens overwhelmingly feel that our only public pool is important to the town and that a year-round facility is needed,” Pelissier said.
About 1,500 citizens responded to a more recent survey in April 2018, which was part of the pool feasibility study, with 89 percent in favor of an all-season facility.
Funding
Funding for the project is coming from Community Preservation Act money and a major fundraising effort.
“To date, the Community Preservation Committee has funded a $75,000 feasibility study that resulted in the town survey component overwhelmingly supporting the development of a new pool and athletic facility, in addition to setting forth the guidelines necessary to make the facility operationally self-sufficient,” said Smith, who also serves on the Friends Executive Committee, as does Tom Hoffman. “The completed feasibility study and the subsequent Peer Review Study indicate that restoration of the current building structure and existing pool are not a productive or economically-sound alternative.”
(Community Preservation Act funds come from a tax surcharge supported by Hingham voters in the early 2000s. This funding may only be used for open space acquisition, affordable housing, historic preservation, and some recreational projects.)
Last year, the Community Preservation Committee awarded the Management Committee $300,000 for design and construction documents. “To date, no funds have been expended as the approval requires matching private donations of $350,000, plus a sustainable operating plan and an agreed-upon path forward with the Board of Selectmen,” Smith said. “While we continue to move forward with our plan, the requirements have not yet been met, causing us to withdraw this year’s $2.75 million preliminary application for CPA funds.”
Major fundraiser planned
Fundraising efforts continue thanks to the Friends group, which raised approximately $115,000 last year.
The Community Preservation Act funds cannot be expended until the Friends match that funding source with the $350,000 in private donations and identify a path to move forward with financing the full project, according to Smith.
“We continue to work with town officials as evidenced by unanimous approval by the Advisory Committee and Board of Selectmen for a $37,500 reserve fund transfer this past fiscal year for pool repairs necessary to open it this summer,” Smith said. “The pool can only be opened if it passes a safety inspection routinely performed by our independent certified engineer.”
Working with new Country Club Executive Director Kevin Whalen, the focus is on developing a workable plan to finance the construction of the new pool facility that will include:
* private donations;
* sufficient operating revenues;
* reallocation of Country Club funds currently applied to existing bond payments expiring in June 2019:
* marketing opportunities afforded by the new facility;
* new revenue sources available to the Club; and
*Community Preservation Act funding.
“As stewards of this most valuable Hingham asset, the Management Committee, Friends, and the South Shore Country Club staff continue to be excited about the prospects of a new and improved golf and pool facility under the direction of Kevin Whalen,” Smith said.
For further information or to make a donation, visit friendsofsscc.org.
