MOORESVILLE — Mooresville Parks and Recreation will host a grand reopening of Old Town Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 5.

Over the last year, a new restroom facility has been installed at the park, and a new playground has been installed more recently.

“We’re planning to be there, make it a community event, really showcase our improvements into that project,” parks superintendent Phil Cornelius said. “With the restroom and playground investment, along with the new sidewalks pathways for ADA accessibility, … it’s roughly over $310,000 worth of capital project improvements for this park.”

During the Mooresville Park Board’s May 13 meeting, Cornelius said there are still some finishing touches that need to be added at Old Town Park.

“That’s fixing some of the landscaping, beautification process, but we do have some other fun things to hopefully come to that park,” Cornelius added.

Aquatic center update

With the arrival of warmer temperatures, folks around the area will be visiting the aquatic center at Pioneer Park.

During the board meeting, Cornelius told members that the pool had already been filled in preparation for the season.

“This year, we had a new surprise,” Cornelius said. “The start of this year, every year we have some type of surprise.”

According to Cornelius, the “surprise” this year concerned chemical balancing in the pool. “We were receiving intake, whenever we were filling the main pool, and getting what’s called metal material,” Cornelius said, adding that the material is harmless.

He said the parks worked with Indiana American Water, which tested the water coming into the system. The testing came back clean.

The conclusion is that the issue is with the pool’s sand filters.

“The only component that is metal from that fill to our main pool is our sand filters,” Cornelius said. “So that is telling us that they are deteriorating quickly.”

He also noted the park has resolved the chemical issue and that the water is well within standards.

But, the sand filters, which were installed in 1989, will need to be replaced.

The life cycle of a sand filter is roughly 15-20 years, Cornelius noted.

“So we’ve definitely got our fill for those filters, so they’ve definitely have sustained and lasted longer than expected, but it’s time to look at the process (of replacement),” Cornelius said.

Board member Lynne Adams asked if the pool’s heater was working.

Cornelius responded that the department is working with a company to make sure the heaters are working “to the fullest extent.”

“Is there some problem with it?” park board member Brent Callahan asked.

“It’s not continuing firing,” Cornelius responded.

According to Cornelius, the company he’s working with will be working on the heaters this summer and the pool will need work done during the off season.

In other business

• The board voted to have its building committee review plans for the Pioneer Park update project.

• It voted to hire a new recreation coordinator.

• The board also voted to hire its summer employees for the upcoming season.

~ By Lance Gideon | Reporter | Published May 23, 2024 in The Morgan County Correspondent