Neighbors hope to save beloved community pool in west Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — For nearly six decades, the Coulwood Community Pool has been the place for families in west Charlotte to make memories. But the aging pool needs repairs, and if they’re not made soon, it may have to close for good.

The pool has been a gathering spot for neighbors to make a splash, and it was those early neighbors who brought the idea to life.

“There were just a few families that put a second mortgage on their home to build this neighborhood pool back in 1962,” said Betsy Mauney, a community member and swim coach at the pool. “From the very beginning, they wanted this community connection place to be here.”

Countless neighbors say they’ve found that connection at the pool, but the cracks are starting to show in the old concrete. The major improvements could end up costing $400,000.

“I’m concerned about the pool opening next year,” Mauney said. “I’m concerned about getting that large sum of money -- three to four-hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money.”

Mauney has lived here most of her life, and she’s seen the patchwork repairs that have been put in place to keep the pool afloat.

“We’ve tried to do fixes over the years ... we’ve had to do patches of the coping and minor fixes here and there, but these huge projects require so much money, and we don’t have that from the memberships,” Mauney said. “This is the only community pool in this neighborhood, this area, that you can freely join ... the big fixes to keep it safe are just not cheap.”

Those memberships have kept the pool open this long, and now those memories are fueling the fight to save it.

“We’re just making memories constantly, it’s just the best,” said Elise Mauney, Betsy’s granddaughter.

WATCH: Pool management companies scrambling to open pools

For Betsy Mauney, those memories include her mother’s cancer battle.

“In fact, when she was first diagnosed with cancer and had some procedures don’t, her first question was, ‘How quickly can I get back to the pool to play with my grandkids?’” Mauney said.

This weekend, community members will hold a 60th birthday party for the pool. They’re also brainstorming more ways to save the pool with that funding.

If you would like to help with a donation to the pool, you can do so at this link.

(WATCH BELOW: City council votes against community pool in Plaza Midwood)