My name is Kai Winfree. I am a current resident of this community.

The community pool should be reopened. There is no reason to keep the pool closed for this summer.

The Centers for Disease Control, a highly esteemed leading American medical organization focusing on researching and studying infectious diseases including COVID-19, found no evidence that the COVID-19 virus could spread from person to person through water. Moreover, the CDC discovered that the chemicals found in swimming pools, including chlorine and bromine, could inactivate the virus. Therefore, this renders the pool the safest facility for residents to use in the Lakes at Country Place. In response, numerous other water-based facilities are starting to reopen, including waterparks, albeit with revised safety regulations. Other communities in Pearland have already reopened their community pools and other amenities, including Southlake, Southern Trails, Shadow Creek, and Southdown. I have evidence for this as well. Thus, it is apparent that community pools, including this one, could be reopened safely.

To reopen the community pool safely, LACP residents could practice social distancing while using the pool deck. Eliminate the chairs and tables to encourage fewer swimmers to use the pool deck in one period. Residents could bring their own furniture.

Also, what happened to the waiver system the clubhouse staff implemented during the initial reopening? These waivers provide protection to the clubhouse from lawsuits in the case that residents contract the virus while using the facilities. Thus, the waiver system placed responsibility on the pool users and ensured that residents were using the pool at their own risk, a notion that has been reinforced for over ten years now.

If the clubhouse staff are worried about returning to work, this could be solved by reopening the side gate to the pool. The tennis courts are accessible by the side gate and its users are not required to check into the clubhouse before its usage. Personally, I have seen social distancing practices within the tennis courts. Residents are abiding by these social distancing recommendations. Thus, more trust should be placed onto the residents, who all are wary about contracting the virus. Why should the pool be the only facility managed by the clubhouse staff?

Additionally, LACP staff could enforce restrictions on how many residents could use the pool in order to maintain proper social distancing. These quotas could be proportional to the number of homes that are inside this community. LACP residents using the pool or clubhouse staff could enforce the quotas.

Lastly, reopening the pool provides a safe activity for residents to participate in. Many residents do not want to stay inside their homes all day, including children. The pool provides a refuge for residents away from home but within the gates of our community. Additionally, the pool is a great source of exercise for all ages. Because the gym is closed, residents now have limited options for exercise besides walking. Thus, if the community pool is opened, it would provide everyone with an opportunity to safely use the amenities which this neighborhood has to offer.

Encourage the elderly and vulnerable residents to stay home. Scared residents should stay home. No one is forcing you to go to the pool; thus, if you feel too concerned about catching COVID-19, STAY HOME, and let those who want to use the facilities do as they please. You can choose to stay away from those individuals or the entire pool area if you feel threatened. This is one solution to help you reduce your fears of COVID-19. Finally, allow those who wish to use the amenities to use it safely and responsibly. After all, residents are paying for these amenities.

I have contacted Crest Management. No response there. I contacted the clubhouse staff. They directed me to Facebook. I reached out on Facebook. I asked to speak to the manager and they directed me to their email. I received an email that my inquiries have been forwarded to the board, and I am currently awaiting a response. I will update here soon.

For any inquiries, comments, or concerns, please contact me at kaiwinfree2020@gmail.com.

UPDATE:

JUL 2, 2020 — 

On Thursday, June 2, Texas Governor Abbott signed an executive order to prohibit the outdoor gathering of ten or more people. However, this mandate applies to parties of ten or more people. The pool can still reopen safely if the clubhouse limits the number of people allowed within a group. They could still limit group sizes to a maximum of 9 people. They could also enforce social distancing of 6 feet between groups. As long as residents do not gather in groups over ten people while using the pool and these groups keep a minimum of 6 feet apart from each other, then the pool could successfully reopen.

CDC Citation:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fphp%2Fwater.html#COVID-19-and-Water

Check the “COVID-19 and Water” section for evidence.

Thanks for signing my petition!