Farmingdale swimmers want pool at park

Several dozen youth swimmers, their parents and coaches crowded into Tuesday's Oyster Bay Town Board meeting to ask for an indoor pool in the expansion of Ellsworth W. Allen Park in Farmingdale.

Farmingdale Aquatics, a USA Swimming-sanctioned squad with competitors ages 6 through 18, practices at Farmingdale High School, but members said the facility there is in disrepair. If that pool winds up getting renovated before another is built, swimmers would be without a pool while the work is done, which head coach Bill Manton said would "possibly put us out of business for good."

The town is gathering public comment on the long-planned park expansion. Allen Park's existing 15.8 acres will be supplemented by 22 acres from a former industrial finishing site. With the site's environmental cleanup nearly complete, officials expect to hold a community meeting in the fall.

Supervisor John Venditto told the swimmers that "everything is on the table."

"Hopefully the story will have a happy ending," he said.