Pixabay/Luxury beachfront home with pool.
By NANETTE LoBIONDO GALLOWAY
MARGATE – Along with tightening regulations for building in-ground gunite pools, the city is considering establishing a moratorium on building all types of pools during the summer season.
The Board of Commissioners discussed requiring a special permit to build sprayed-on concrete pools, which in at least one recent instance caused damage to nearby property and caused mud and silt to get onto streets and into the city’s storm and sanitary sewer systems.
Twenty-five-year Kenyon Avenue resident Bruce Horn told commissioners July 15 that installation of a gunite pool in his neighborhood caused gunite rebound spray to get onto a neighbor’s deck, and concrete dust on his porch furniture, window screens and air conditioning units. Without advance notice, neighbors are unaware they should move their vehicles to protect against gunite rebound, he said.
“Before we allow more pools to be gunite constructed…the Building Department needs to look into this,” he advised.
The process of spraying the gunite pool took nine hours with noise at 115 decibels, in excess of OSHA limitations, and trucks blocked traffic all day long, he said. During the month following excavation of the hole where the gunite pool would go, ground water was pumped onto the street causing algae slime to grow in the street. The contractor failed to clean the street and sidewalks when the job was finished, he said.
Horn, who is a materials science engineer, recommended the city take steps to prevent damage when building pools. He suggested tenting the area to be filled to prevent cement rebound; enclosing trucks to prevent excess noise; routing sump lines directly to the storm drains to prevent algae and slime from growing in the street; having a city inspector present during the process to ensure the work is being done according to code; giving residents proper notice; and requiring the contractor to return the streets and sidewalks to a clean condition immediately after construction.
Although other pool types do not cause the problems Horn experienced during his neighbor’s installation, the board is also considering implementing a moratorium on building all pools types during the summer months. The city already has a moratorium on demolitions from the Friday before Memorial Day weekend to the day after Labor Day weekend.
The framework for an ordinance requiring a permit to build a pool already exists. Now a second permit for a gunite pool and discharging ground water into the storm water system during the de-watering process will be required, officials said at their meeting Aug. 5.
City Solicitor John Scott Abbott said the city is looking at creating an ordinance that could include charges for discharging water onto city streets.
“It’s all for the protection of surrounding property owners, their homes, their cars and also our storm water system,” he said.
Commissioner John Amodeo said bladders filtering sand from discharge water should be strategically placed at least 6 inches away from the curb to allow storm water to drain properly. Contractors will also be required to give at least 48-hours notice to the building inspector and Police Department.
Amodeo and Abbott said they spoke with a gunite pool installer who supports the moratorium.
“He gets so many complaints and headaches to deal with in summer and so much pressure, it’s better for these guys (to have the moratorium),” Abbott said.
According to city Administrator Richard Deaney, the moratorium is a “quality of life issue” the city must address.
“This is called quality of life and that’s what we are here for,” Deaney said. “We can’t keep up with the problems in the neighborhoods…”
Wording for the ordinance will be refined and introduced at an upcoming meeting.
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