09-05-2025
Gypsy Hill Pool house safety concerns forces city to make changes for upcoming season
The Gypsy Hill Park pool is scheduled to open in two weeks, on May 24, but there will be some changes after an inspection identified some safety concerns with the current pool house.
Staunton is considering a new pool house, but that would not be built, at the earliest, until after this summer's swim season is complete. City Manager Leslie Beauregard told Staunton City Council at its May 8 meeting that the design phase of that new construction is complete and it will go to bid May 19.
"We're anxious to see what those bids will say," Beauregard said.
That, however, is a future concern for city council. A more pressing problem is that the current pool house has some structural integrity issues that has forced the city to make changes for this season. Chris Tuttle, director of Staunton's Parks and Recreation, provided an update on those changes to council.
"There's certain areas of the pool house we're not going to be able to use this year," Tuttle said.
The rear staircase from the deck to the pool level is unusable this summer. So is the women's restroom. And the patio directly in front of the rear staircase will be limited in its use.
Tuttle said that there is now more damage to the rear staircase than a year ago, with the concrete starting to deteriorate. That will be blocked off before pool opening.
The city has come up with some solutions in order to open the pool on time, although Tuttle called it a "work in progress."
The former men's restroom will now be the women's restroom with some changing stalls relocated from the old women's restroom to the new space.
The handicap ramp will now be used to access the pool deck and signage will be installed to direct traffic flow.
As far as additional restrooms, Tuttle said the city is looking into various options. One is to rent an ADA accessible multi-restroom trailer for this summer. Another option is what Tuttle called a "wedding porta-john" which is a more luxury portable restroom.
Tuttle said the city thought they had a trailer unit ready to rent for $16,500 but they just found out that it is no longer available. Staff has continued to look for another trailer, but those are considerably more expensive, Tuttle said, with the cost ranging from $35,000 to $50,000 for the season.
The other option, the "wedding porta-johns," would cost the city approximately $14,000, Tuttle told council.
"That may be the direction we're going in," he said.
There will also be temporary handwashing and outdoor rinse stations installed at the pool. Those have been ordered, per Tuttle.
The staff has two weeks to find the solutions.
"That's the situation we're in," Tuttle said. "We're going to make it work."
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— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@ and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Changes being made to Gypsy Hill Park pool house for summer due to safety concerns
