A representative from Clark County Public Health said Thursday that the department issued pool closures at the county’s two LA Fitness locations last year due to “imminent health hazards.”
The closure notice for the pool at the Orchards location at 11505 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd. was issued Feb. 16, 2023. The closure notice for the pool at the Hazel Dell location at 7607 N.E. Fifth Ave. was issued Sept. 1, 2023.
“Both pools were closed due to facility HVAC systems not providing adequate ventilation, which had caused mold accumulation, peeling paint, damaged drywall, and rust and corrosion on metal surfaces,” said Marissa Armstrong, a spokesperson for Public Health.
The closures, Armstrong said, will remain in place until the HVAC systems are fixed and damage caused by the high humidity is corrected. Public Health will have to conduct follow-up inspections at each location once the work is completed, but no timeline is available for repairs at either location.
A staff member at the Hazel Dell location confirmed the closures were a result of a Public Health investigation and added the HVAC was recently fixed and workers are in the process of repainting and remodeling before seeking a follow-up inspection.
Staff at the Orchards location could not provide details on the status of pool repairs as of Thursday afternoon.
Patrons frustrated
Last week, patrons at each LA Fitness location complained they were continuing to be charged full price for their memberships despite the continued pool closures. Members told The Columbian they had grown frustrated with statements from staff that they felt didn’t provide specifics about reasons for the closures.
“I feel like I’ve been getting ripped off and paying membership for nothing for four months,” said one patron, Mark, in an interview with The Columbian last week. “I’m just frustrated because I feel like I’m being lied to.”
Memberships at LA Fitness are around $40 to $50 a month plus a $59 annual fee. Cancellations can sometimes come with fees, according to the company’s website, and members still have to pay $10 a month if they want to freeze their accounts.
State code does not require LA Fitness or other facilities in similar situations to disclose the reason for such closures, Armstrong said.
