Troy residents unhappy with city’s decision not to open public pools this summer
TROY, N.Y.>> Troy’s two city-operated public swimming pools are not expected to open this summer and residents are unhappy about the decision.
Located on each end of the city, South Troy Pool and Knickerbacker Pool in Lansingburgh typically serve as an affordable way for residents to beat the heat in the summer.
When eight-year-old Carrie Massie of Troy learned that her city’s pools could be closed this season, she questioned why.
The answer to her question is money.
City officials said late last week it was highly unlikely the pools could be reopened this summer after an engineering report pegged the cost to get them ready to open at $750,000, plus the $125,000 officials say it costs to staff them for the summer. Even if the city were to come up with that $875,000, though, there are larger concerns about the structural integrity of both pools because of severe corrosion resulting from age and poor maintenance.
To many residents this explanation is unacceptable, and it certainly won’t make a hot summer day any cooler.
“Get your priorities straight, Troy,” said Brenda Primeau, a former Troy resident who has kids and grandchildren currently living in the city.
“My kids went to the Knickerbacker Pool for their swim lessons when they were little,” Primeau said, adding that it allowed them to be with friends in an environment where they were being supervised, “instead of running the streets and not knowing what they’re doing.”
Primeau predicts that with no city pools, Troy will see blow-up pools popping up outside of people’s homes and children playing on the street.
“It’s really, really gonna hurt the kids,” she said. “I, for one, have two teenagers that I would love to take to a pool and now what are they gonna do? It keeps a lot of kids out of trouble, and what are their options now?”
Troy mom Cindy Massie, who moved to the city from Albany last year, made sure her older children, eight and 10, learned how to swim. But her youngest, who was born last year, may not have the opportunity to do that at Troy’s municipal pools.
“Unfortunately, it’s going to be a sad thing that there’s not going to be anywhere to swim around here, when there already isn’t anything to do,” Cindy said during a visit to the Prospect Park playground on Sunday with her children. “That’s going to cause a lot of problems, probably cause more kids to get into trouble, trying to swim in places they shouldn’t.”
These mothers are far from alone in their concerns.
In a statement released Friday, City Council President Carmella Mantello reiterated her feeling that the city should explore any means necessary to keep the pools open. Mantello called for the pools to reopen after a group of city residents began an online petition in December that has collected the signatures of about 650 people and more recently called for the city to dip into the $2.2 million budget surplus it accrued in 2016 in the face of fears of insolvency.
“I will continue to say that I think it’s critical to open our pools for our kids this year,” she said by email Friday.
Even residents who don’t use the municipal pools believe that they are important for the city to offer as the weather warms up.
“I think that that is a bummer,” said Troy resident Faye Kelts. Kelts mentioned that many people don’t have air conditioning in their homes. “The pool is probably really awesome for them,” she said.
Seventh Avenue residents Alden and Beatrice Gaudreau, who have lived next to Knickerbacker Pool in Lansingburgh for the past 11 years, also think it’d be a shame if the pool stays closed. Though they’ve never used it, they’ve grown accustomed to children’s joyous shrieks and squeals in the summer months. Beatrice described this noise as wonderful. “I really miss that when the summer’s over.”
Alden agreed. “I love the noise. I love the kids playing.”
The neighbors admitted that some aspects of living next to the pool, like the traffic and litter, can be bothersome, but they don’t outweigh what’s good about it.
“I think it’s a really good fun activity for the kids in the summer. It gets them off the street. It gets them out playing. Getting some exercise is good,” Alden said.
Beatrice wondered if the individuals in control of making the decision have kids that utilize them. Assuming they most likely do not, she said, “I would guess that that probably plays a part in it as well.”
As a solution to the issue at hand, Alden suggested that a fundraising effort, like a race or marathon, should be started to raise money that could help fix the city pools.
No matter where the capital comes from, Primeau and many others want the pools open for the children’s sake. “Troy really needs to consider opening their pools, and get the funding to do it,” she said, “because they’re going to have a lot of trouble with their kids.”