New Meade Park pool opens with big splash

A joyful noise arose from the Onesty Family Aquatic Center on Saturday as Charlottesville residents explored the new Meade Park pool on its opening day.

The pool opened its doors at 10 a.m. and hit its 225-person capacity by 11:30 a.m. Swimmers of all ages bopped around the lazy river and shrieked when a large bucket of water toppled over onto everyone in the spray park area.

Older kids jumped one by one off the diving board and into the deep end of a pool under the watchful eye of a lifeguard.

On the periphery, parents stretched out on white lounge chairs and helped their little ones with towels and drinks.

Under a giant shade umbrella near the zero-depth entry beach, Gloria Jones kept a watchful eye on her 2-year-old while bottle-feeding an infant. Jones said the pool has changed for the better.

“They did a good job,” Jones said. “This accommodates the children more. The safety rules are good and there are more lifeguards.”

Onesty had nine lifeguards manning the chairs and slide at all times on Saturday.

Jones, who lives a few blocks from the pool, said the new Onesty is a vast improvement over the previous version built in 1975. She said the old pool had cracked cement and dirty bathrooms.

The old Onesty pool and bathhouse were demolished last year after a 2005 parks and needs assessment showed that the pool wasn’t cost-effective. The construction budget for the revived Onesty was $4.2 million.

Brian Daly, the city’s acting parks and recreation director, said the city expects to come in under budget by $60,000 to $70,000. Daly said the final total will be available after “some punch list items” not related to the mechanics of the pool, such as landscaping, are finished.

The first people admitted to the pool on Saturday were a man and his son who arrived at 6:30 a.m. to get in line, Daly said. As the day wore on, a line formed at the front gate as kids waited for other families to leave so that they could enter. A crayon-themed bouncy house was stationed nearby to give those who were waiting something fun to do.

The only downside to the pool for Jones was the price. She said it cost her $20 to take her family to the pool, which is steep for someone who remembers paying 50 cents per person for admission.

Onesty’s daily admission rate for city residents is $5 for people taller than 48 inches, $3 for people below that height, $3 for seniors over 55, $1 for the disabled and free for children under age 3.

The rates, which also apply to Washington Park, are about double for non-residents. However, the pool offers summer passes for city residents and non-residents.

Jason Coleman, who lives two blocks away from the pool, said the passes that he bought for his family will more than pay for themselves.

His daughter Kate, 14, said her family has been excited about Onesty’s re-opening.

“My little brother kept asking, ‘Is it open yet?’” Kate said.