DACULA, Ga. — More public pools are opening for people to enjoy for the summer, but a water war is building between some families and their homeowners association in Gwinnett County.
At the Hamilton Mill community in Dacula, the pools are set to open June 1. But residents of the community have launched an online petition saying they should have the right to 'swim at their own risk.'
Neighbors in the community told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen that they can keep themselves safe in or out of a swimming pool.
"Simply let the residents handle their own social distancing,” neighbor Ron Willis said.
Willis is one of many neighbors who are frustrated with a string of COVID-19 related restrictions the Hamilton Mill Homeowners Association put in place for the community's swimming pools.
The HOA has released a set of guidelines which include no more than 50 people allowed at the pool at one time and a reservation system for a 2-hour time slot.
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Neighboring communities have made changes too, but Tammy Mellott said hers isn't quite as strict.
“They have volunteers counting the number of people coming into the pool every day. They will send a message out to the neighborhood letting us know how many spaces are available,” Mellott said.
The HOA's board of directors says it's going with guidelines released by the state on how to safely open and manage a public swimming pool.
The rules will include closing the pool after each 2-hour period to allow for a 1-hour cleaning of common areas by the staff.
But some homeowners insist it's over the top and they started an online petition to abolish the new rules and instead enact a swim-at-your-own-risk policy.
"The board has gone way too far going past the recommendations of the CDC and the governor," Wills said.
Petersen attempted to contact the HOA on Monday, but so far has not gotten a response.
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