New law targets pool safety

Written by The Fresno Bee
11/24/08 08:08:53

A little known law is having big implications for some pool and spa maintenance businesses -- and others -- in the San Joaquin Valley.

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Safety Act of 2007 requires public and commercial pools to install pumps that automatically shut off, and install drain covers and other devices that prevent swimmers from being pinned underwater by suction forces.

The bill is named after the granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker, who drowned at the age of 7 after being trapped at the drain of a hot tub.

Keith Kraemer of Valley Pool Service in Fresno said he has installed 25 of the devices -- which can cost $1,300 or more -- at apartment complexes, schools, hotels and even homes around the area.

Kraemer said the extra revenue makes up for money he has lost as people cut expenses during this recessionary environment. "I've lost 25 or 30 accounts, but staying the same revenue-wise," he said. He has about 450 accounts.

Ron Rogers of Dependable Pool Service in Fresno, who has installed two of the devices, said some smaller apartment complexes are simply draining their pools and spas rather than pay the expense.

The expense can be considerable for deluxe hotels and apartment complexes, said Jeff Kearns of Wildwood Pools, which has installed the protective devices at Westin hotels.

Madera County is requiring the safety equipment on all new residential pools, he added.

New use for old building

A former Kmart building in Fresno is scheduled to reopen as an indoor swap meet in January.

The building, at 1050 West Olive Ave. across from Roeding Park, has been empty since the retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2002.

The Housing Authorities of the city and county of Fresno once considered moving into the building, but did not. Jeong Park and his family bought the building three years ago.

The family has started swap meets in San Bernardino and Los Angeles, Park said.

They plan to have 70 to 90 booths in the nearly 100,000-square-foot building, selling everything from clothing to handbags and photo studio services. The business will be open six days a week and be called the Fresno Super Mall, he said. Work has begun on the building's exterior.

The business received the conditional-use permit it needed in 2006, but at least one official expressed skepticism at the plans.

Steve Geil, president and CEO of the Fresno Economic Development Corp., said he would be disappointed if the building -- which he described as a great asset with lots of parking -- became a swap meet.

"I think that area of the city ... would have a better use and a higher use for it," he said. "Once that becomes a swap meet, it discourages people from investing around it."

Dog walkers

A pet-sitting and dog-walking franchise opened last week serving the Fresno and Clovis areas.

FETCH! Pet Care offers private and group dog walking, feeding, in-home overnight pet sitting, poop scooping and other services for dogs, cats, horses and other animals.

Several such pet care services have popped up in recent years, including No Place Like Home pet services and Affordable Pet Care.

FETCH! franchise owner Diane Salvo said her business differs because it employs a team of eight workers.

"If, for some reason, something should happen with the sitter, no pet is left uncared for," she said. "We have a backup."

Prices start at $20 per day for dog walking and basic feeding. The company can be contacted at www.fetchpetcare.com.

All sitters undergo background checks, and one worker is a pre-veterinarian student capable of giving injections, Salvo said.

FETCH! has 200 franchises serving 1,800 areas.

For sale: golf property

Fresno officials have put Palm Lakes Golf Course, closed since 2005, up for sale, and they are drawing interest from developers who could turn it into anything from light industrial buildings to a new golf course.

The city shuttered the executive par 3 golf course near Peach and Dakota avenues because it was losing money. Today, the 40 acres for sale has been appraised at $2.2 million, and city officials are getting bids from prospective buyers.

The bids will be opened in January, said Craig Hansen, the city's supervising real estate agent. The land is zoned open space, and the buyer will pay for rezoning and preparing the land for development.