Crews dive into pool project
The dark green mesh fence that surrounds the pool at Verdugo Park belies a busy schedule of prep work before heavy construction on new facilities starts — a day that can’t come soon enough for visitors grappling with the temporary loss of some parking.
Sean Corrigan, the city engineer overseeing the project, said work currently includes “isolating utilities” in the upstairs recreation center — such as water lines — so the facility can remain open to the public.
“As soon as that’s complete, we will start knocking down walls,” Corrigan said.
Similar work is being done with sewer lines, he said, adding that all the work at this point is inside.
“In the latter half of July, that’s when you will see demolition, outside, of the concrete pool shell,” Corrigan said.
Burbank Water and Power workers, Charter Communications and AT&T have also been at the site because the phone system needed to be moved, Corrigan said.
“We have to start out pretty precisely to protect the building above, whether it’s the utilities or the structure,” Corrigan said. “You can’t just come in with sledge hammers and bulldozers — we’re taking great care.”
On June 11, Corrigan and other city officials held a meeting outside the recreation center to provide residents with an update on the project, assuring them they would see construction trucks gathering at the site soon.
In addition to the fence around the pool, other signs of activity include a few orange cones and a trailer located on the east side of the building.
Corrigan added that residents will be able to see progress photos of the work on the city’s website courtesy of surveillance cameras that will monitor the site.
Nineteen-year resident Chris Patrick, who lives across the street from the recreation center area, said the park is full of children whose parents “have to fight because the parking spaces are cut, maybe less than half, so everyone is parked wherever they can.”
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