Wayland health board defers lifeguard ruling on new 218-unit Alta Oxbow pool

WAYLAND — May 22, 2023 — Wayland Board of Health delays lifeguard ruling on the new 218-unit Alta Oxbow pool. At the May 22 meeting, the board declined to decide whether the Route 20 development — historically known as River's Edge and now 54 percent occupied — must staff a lifeguard, tabling the question to June 12. Developer representative Mark Sack said the pool maxes out at five feet deep, has a permitted capacity of 53 swimmers, and is monitored by CPR-certified staff with three "swim at your own risk" signs and a signed lease waiver. Chair Robert Defrancesco said he would not vote "until I see what you have at your facility," and members signaled they will likely require a sign-in sheet, posted occupancy limits, no-diving signage and a lifeguard for events such as an advertised pig roast. Wayland applies a stricter one-lifeguard-per-20-bathers standard than the state's one-per-25 guideline.