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SPRING HILL, Kan. — Spring Hill city staff are preparing to reopen the Aquatic Center for the 2021 season. 

COVID-19 precautions forced the city to close the center last year, but now staff are preparing to reopen with limited capacity. 

“Our original capacity is 425, and we are limited to 229 for those swim sessions,” Facility Manager Gabrielle Kempf said.  

Kempf said to limit crowd size, guests will be asked to enter through the main breezeway and exit the facility through the side gate.

“We’re excited that our city council took action to allow us to reopen the pool. We’ll do so with restrictions, of course, and with the safety of everybody involved, but we’re excited to get a really important facility for our residents back open,” City Administrator Jim Hendershot said. 

Pool staff will be enforcing new COVID-19 precautions throughout the summer. The facility will not be providing poolside lounge chairs, but guests are encouraged to bring their own. 

Kempf said restrooms will still be open, but locker rooms will be closed.

Special features like the rock climbing wall will be closed off, but slides, sprinklers and driving boards will open for the public to use. 

The aquatic center will not be offering cabana rentals or facility rentals for private groups or events during the 2021 season. 

Kemp said masks will be required for both guests and staff when not in the water.

“Anyone who is not in the water or actively eating or drinking will be required to wear a mask,” Kempf said. 

The facility hours are shifting to a block schedule to allow staff more time to clean throughout the day. 

“After each swim lesson season and each river walking season, we close for 15 minutes to clean. After each open swim season, we close for 30 minutes to clean. We are going to make sure we get the handrails, high-touch surface areas,” Kempf said. 

Open swim will be available Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Kemp said the daily schedule Monday through Friday will be: 

  • 10-10:45 a.m. Swim lessons/River walking 
  • 10:45-11 a.m. Cleaning
  • 11-11:45 a.m. Swim lessons/River walking 
  • 11:45 a.m. to noon Cleaning 
  • Noon to 3 p.m. Open swim 
  • 3-3:30 p.m. Cleaning 
  • 3:30-6:30 p.m. Open swim
  • 6:30-6:45 p.m. Cleaning 
  • 6:45-7:30 p.m. Swim lessons and River walking 

Limited concessions will be available for guests to purchase inside the aquatic center. To limit the number of people in the concession stand area, guests will be asked to use their smartphones to view the menu of prepackaged snacks.  

“We are going to be using a QR code that people can scan on their smartphones to pull up our concession stand menu to avoid the clogging of the concession line,” Kempf said. 

Tickets will be sold at the gate on a first come, first serve basis. The Spring Hill Aquatic Center is slated to open for the season at noon May 30. Daily admission will cost $3. A 10-visit punch pass will cost $27. 

“We’re just excited to have our pool back open and allow folks to come back and enjoy the summer,” Hendershot said.