New Lisbon bathhouse awaits grant; project likely delayed until summer

LISBON — Replacement of the deteriorating bathhouse at the Lisbon Beach and Campgrounds is not likely to happen before this summer.

Officials had hoped to have it demolished and rebuilt sooner, but are holding off while awaiting word on whether the town will get a $356,000 state grant for the project.

"By the time we could get the bids in, it would probably be a miracle if it was done before summer," Supervisor Donald G. Strader said.

The project has been discussed for about six years, according to campgrounds Director Michael J. O'Neil. However, the plans have never moved forward because the town lacked the money.

The bathhouse was built in the late 1970s and the poor condition of the ventilation system and toilets have made it very expensive to keep clean, he said. Increased beach traffic has also put a strain on the facility and the town's ability to maintain it.

"(A new bathhouse) will make it so we wouldn't need to have maintenance in there nonstop, like we do now," Mr. O'Neil said.

The bathhouse, designed by Burley-Guminiak & Associates, Canton, will be 1,200 square feet, with two showers, two handicapped-accessible showers, 10 toilets, two urinals and four sinks. It will nearly double the size and capacity of the existing 700-square-foot facility.

The bathhouse is part of ongoing updates to the beach that include extending campgrounds and improving sewer and electrical systems. Last fall, the roofs on three pavilions were replaced for $8,750.

Estimates for the bathhouse are around $287,000. Any money left over from the state grant would be put toward updating the electrical and sewer systems, Mr. Strader said.