Inground pools in Alliance, Ohio

Alliance is a city of about 21,700 people on roughly 9 square miles, mostly in Stark County with a sliver reaching into Mahoning County. The Ohio General Assembly named it the Carnation City in 1959, and the University of Mount Union has been here since 1846. The Mahoning River runs through the northeast part of town.

For a pool builder, what matters is that much of Alliance is an older, built-out city. On many of its established streets, the backyard already holds a garage, a shed or big trees. That makes the site visit more important here than in a new subdivision. We measure the rear yard, find the overhead and buried lines, and look at how the ground drains before anyone talks about pool models. A yard that looks roomy from the patio door can shrink fast once the city's accessory rules and a fence line are drawn on it.

We checked USDA soil survey data at several points in and around the city. The soils that came up most were Ravenna silt loam and Canfield silt loam, both formed in glacial till. Both have a fragipan, a dense, brittle layer a couple of feet down that water moves through slowly. The USDA describes Ravenna as somewhat poorly drained, with a perched water table that can sit 7 to 11 inches below the surface from October through June in normal years. Canfield drains a little better, but its perched water table can still rise to 10 to 21 inches from November through April. One sample point near the edge of town came back as Udorthents, the survey's term for ground that has been cut, filled or otherwise disturbed.

Here is what that means once the machine arrives. A spring dig on Ravenna ground will very likely take on water, so we plan for pumping and for relieving water pressure under the shell. The fragipan also slows water draining away from the finished pool. We grade the deck to shed water away from the pool and the house, and on a wet lot we talk about drainage before the dig starts. On filled ground we want to know what is under the lawn, since old fill can settle unevenly under a deck.

Our first suggestion for most Alliance yards is a fiberglass pool. A one-piece Liberty shell handles wet soil and freeze-thaw well, it goes in quickly, and the smaller models fit city lots. A Victory 11x22 package is $70,600 installed, and our fiberglass packages start at $68,400 for the Dignity 10x20 or Enrichment 9x17. Each one includes Pentair lights, a variable-speed pump, a DE filter, a pool heater, a 4 foot concrete wrap deck, startup supplies, installation and electrical hook-up at the equipment.

To budget honestly, add the pieces that depend on your lot. The barrier fence is extra, as are decking beyond the wrap, hauling off the spoils and the wiring run from your electrical panel to the equipment pad. On Ravenna soils, dewatering during the dig is a real line item, not a maybe. We put all of it in the quote so you see the whole number, and we work with lenders if you want to finance.

Owners who want a custom shape can look at ICF concrete or Latham vinyl liner pools. If the backyard is simply too tight for a pool, a patio, fire pit or outdoor kitchen is often the better use of the space. Our outdoor living projects start at around $15,000.

Pools in Alliance fall under Section 1130.08 of the city's codified ordinances, which covers accessory buildings and uses in residence districts. The pool rules in subsection (e) are short:

• All inground pools require a permit and must comply with all setback requirements.
• Pools count as structures. The pool, or the entire property it sits on, must be enclosed by a wall or fence at least 4 feet high.
• The enclosure must have suitable locking devices to prevent uncontrolled access from neighboring properties.

The same section sets limits for detached accessory structures. They must sit behind the rear line of the house, stay at least 5 feet from any lot line, and take up no more than 30 percent of the rear yard. On a corner lot, they cannot extend closer to the side street than the main part of the house. How the zoning office applies each of these to a pool and its deck is a question for the Zoning Code Enforcement Officer, and the city suggests calling that office first on any project. The 30 percent cap is the one we watch on smaller lots, since a pool, its deck and an existing garage add up quickly.

The city's text does not spell out gate hardware beyond locking devices. We install self-closing, self-latching gates on every pool fence we build, because a gate that has to be remembered will eventually be left open.

Permits and inspections come from the Alliance Engineering, Building and Zoning Department at 504 East Main Street. The city asks for at least 24 hours' notice to schedule an inspection. Commercial work goes to the Stark County Building Department, but a backyard pool stays with the city. If your plan needs a variance, the Board of Zoning Appeals meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the same building.

Because Alliance handles permits in one building, the paperwork tends to be direct. The weather is the bigger variable. Ravenna and Canfield soils stay wet into late spring, so an April dig can turn into a pumping job. We usually aim to break ground once the ground firms up, and we watch the forecast around install day. A fiberglass shell goes in quickly once the hole is ready. Then comes the backfill, the deck pour, the fence and the final inspections before the pool is ready to swim.

From our Ravenna shop, Alliance is about 17 miles. We also build in Louisville, Hartville, Salem, Rootstown and North Canton, so neighbors across the city line get the same crew and the same planning.