RCSCW should remove, replace R.H. Johnson pool

Scott Mitzner

Submitted photo/Scott Mitzner

OPINION — Regarding Jennifer Jimenez’s article, Directors meet a consensus to move ahead with pool deck repair: RCSCW built a swimming pool I believe most residents did not want.

R.H. Johnson pool is the type found in resorts and hotels with $100 million-plus in annual revenue. Fixing the pool is peanuts; it’s designed to suck all the cash out of our budget.

For years the man living next door to me was a municipal water treatment superintendent; one of the few experts in Arizona. Every home in Sun City West will experience sewer and water lines, walls, foundations and driveways that are dropping down. The pool is no exception.

Seal coating is the best option because we don’t know what will break next. Concrete’s easy to repair. Hopefully the board preserved copies of the RHJ pool engineering drawings. Before any repair, the soil should be tested, and all pipelines, pool walls and bottom inspected.

Is the pool insured? In SCW, we see almost daily TV ads for home concrete repair and wall repairs. Now we get ads in our mail for concrete, brick and wall repairs. Every new homebuyer should have foundation, walls, sewer and water lines (especially under the house) inspected. Cracks in your walls, footing, floors are termite super highways.

Walk around your home and watch for cracks. Finally, call your homeowner insurance. Ask if they offer “earth movement insurance” (formerly earthquake insurance).Some Arizona companies no longer provide coverage, or your insurance may be worthless or crazy expensive. Old-timers who bought earth movement insurance years ago should be grandfathered in.

My solution: RCSCW should sue the planners, engineers, contractor and board members who approved the RJH pool. Remove the RHJ pool, redesign it and build a disaster-proof pool system for active seniors, not people living in a fantasy world.

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