A rise in outdoor temperatures and a steady decline in COVID rates dominated discussions Feb. 23 as Hanover Township, Northampton County, supervisors inched a little closer to answering residents’ concerns as to when their community center and preschool will open, and what will be done about fixing the now-defunct pool.

The issues continue to hang in limbo as COVID-19 mandates dictate how and when amenities that Hanover residents have come to rely on will get back to even a hint of normal.

“I know like most other residents in the township, the community center being closed and the pool being closed/abandoned is really annoying,” said resident Dominic Haberstumpf. “My biggest beef with the current board is that, except for Supervisor [Susan] Lawless, everyone seems to be dragging their feet, and there’s no sense of urgency in looking to repair or update any investment with the community as a whole.”

Haberstumpf was one of more than 30 residents who attended the Zoom meeting.

The pool, once home to frolicking and swim lessons, and to Hanover’s competitive summer swim team, the Stingrays, closed at the end of the 2018 season and did not reopen after a significant leak was discovered.

“We started to open for 2019, and we realized we had lost 22,000 gallons of water in two hours,” said Township Manager Jay Finnegan.

The situation prompted immediate hiring of Kansas-based geotechnical engineering firm Terracon to do an analysis to identify what the abnormalities are underground, Finnegan said in a phone call Friday. Abnormalities so far strongly indicate probable sinkholes, common in Pennsylvania, which could mean the pool will either need to be reconstructed, relocated, or removed altogether.

According to the township website, more than $200,000 was set aside for pool-related work last year. Efforts to determine site feasibility, construction costs and fund availability were halted when the pandemic shut everything down.

Until all results are in and weighed heavily, the pool, which opened in 1981, remains closed. Until further notice, the Stingrays will call the newly revitalized Memorial Pool on Illicks Mill Road home.

Supervisors also mulled the reopening of the township’s main recreation and preschool hub, the community center. Partially opened to allow appointment-only fitness center use, the only part of the center made available to patrons closed once again when attendance proved to be stagnant, according to the website.

“The community center needs to get up and running by the summer,” said Supervisor Jeffrey Warren. “We are at the point now where [COVID-19] infection rates are starting to decrease significantly in Northampton County. I would like to have some sort of concrete plans regarding reopening the preschool program back up as soon as possible.

“I think it’s feasible to consider phasing it in by June,” said Warren.

Supervisor Chair John Diacogiannis agreed. “Even if it’s an adjustable plan, as things are changing. We’re all looking forward to try to move on here.”

The center closed temporarily in mid-March when COVID-19’s rapid spread hit. It reopened in late-June, when the county was permitted to advance to the Green Phase, which allowed indoor seating in restaurants, as well as movie theaters, salons and gyms like Hanover’s to open. Members utilized the fitness center by appointment. When COVID numbers began to climb again in August and restrictions were reinstated, the community center closed once again.

As residents grow tired of the onslaught of winter weather and fluctuations in hybrid and other school schedules, COVID numbers continuing to decline could mean good news is right around the corner.

According to Finnegan, the outdoor spaces at the center could soon be viable recreational options.

“Field rentals have been contacted and are now submitting the dates they need,” he said. Some indoor programs like Zumba, yoga and spin classes can be moved outdoors easily as long as weather permits.

Requests to reserve tennis courts and pavilions are also starting to come in. In the past, the parks program only met in the morning.

“We might want to segment it to help parents in summer, to help with the virtual learning,” Finnegan said. Lawless suggested brainstorming with the Bethlehem Area School District’s board for suggestions on summer programs.

“In the context of bringing the community center back to life, find out what the school districts are doing. Elementary schools could reopen in April. We should be thinking about summer programs and camps for this summer,” she said.

Indoor is another matter. Currently, Finnegan said, the center’s operating licenses with the state are in abeyance, or on hold. The state will need to do inspections, he said, in order for the building to be deemed safe to reopen.

Also shut down temporarily in March was the Hanover Township Community Center’s preschool, which operates within the community center but did not reopen during the Green Phase. Consideration for reopening the preschool program will occur when the community center is able to fully reopen, according to the township website.

“We need to get the preschool program back up as soon as possible,” said Warren. “Phasing in by June I think is feasible. Infection rates are decreasing significantly. Can they go back up? Absolutely.

“We don’t have a crystal ball. But I’d like to have a plan of action.”

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control released further guidelines for ventilation in schools and childcare programs.

In addition to wearing multi-layer, well-fitting masks, good ventilation is another step in reducing the number of virus particles in the air and reduce the likelihood of spreading disease.

Bring in as much outdoor air as possible, use child-safe fans to increase the effectiveness of open windows, move lunch, classes and activities outdoors when possible, and make sure Heating, Air Conditioning and Ventilation (HVAC) systems are serviced, meeting code requirements, and maximizing ventilation.

Finnegan said that, while the HVAC is not a requirement to reopen the preschool, the township is hiring a company to help determine how the system is operating compared to the CDC recommendations. Snowfalls twice caused appointments to give the system a complete looking over to be canceled. A third attempt is scheduled for next week. Finnegan is trying to think positively.

“Hopefully, it won’t stop us from reopening,” he said.