Rancho Simi Pool Reopens After Work

Closed for a month for routine maintenance, the Rancho Simi Community Pool reopened over the weekend. While the closing inconvenienced water polo and swimming clubs, the pool reopened a day ahead of schedule.

On Monday, Simi Valley residents who flocked to the pool gave it glowing reviews.

“You can see the black markers down at the bottom a lot more clearly now,” said Laurie Barthel, who came with her two children and two of their friends. “And my daughter said that the edges of the pool are a lot smoother now.”

Rick Johnson, a spokesman for the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, said park officials wanted to meet Monday’s deadline for reopening the pool because local students were starting their summer break.

“It was so hard to turn people away because the pool is in use 365 days a year,” Johnson said, adding that the heavy use means the pool needed maintenance.

The pool probably won’t need more maintenance that would shut it down for five or six years, Johnson said. The pool is Olympic-sized--50 by 25 meters--and is the only one of that size in the Rancho Simi Park District. Swim clubs had to use Rancho Sequoia’s pool, which is about half as big, while Rancho Simi was closed.

Josh Schneider, the manager of the Rancho Simi pool, said his is probably the most popular public pool in Simi Valley, mostly because its size allows swimming classes for children and swimming practice for club teams to go on at the same time.

The Rancho Simi Community Pool is open to the public from 1:30 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Cost is $2 per person with special family packages available.