Calls for Nassau to reopen shuttered Roslyn pool as heat up beckons

With sweltering heat bearing down on Long Island, some Nassau activists and lawmakers are calling on the county to reconsider its decision to shutter one of the few public pools on the North Shore.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman announced last month that the main swimming pool, diving tank and kiddie pool at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn would not reopen this summer because of meager attendance and the need for millions in repairs and maintenance. The rest of the 98-acre park, including athletic fields, a nine-hole golf course and nature trails, remains open.

Temperatures by Thursday are forecast to hover in the low 90s and residents who use the park's facilities rallied Tuesday outside the pool's gates for its reopening. They described it as a critical form of outdoor exercise and entertainment for hundreds of children, camps, seniors and families, including many from economically distressed neighborhoods.

"Christopher Morley Park represents not just a resting spot. It's a place where our children learn to swim and make lasting memories," said Weihua Yan of Great Neck, the leader of ‘North Shore Residents for Reopening,' which is advocating to reverse the pool closure decision. 

"It's where families and religious groups gather and where seniors come to exercise and socialize," Yan said at the rally. "So the closing of this pool will be a blow to the mental health of our North Shore communities."

Blakeman has said the pool had about 1,000 visitors last year while other county pools, including Cantiague Park in Hicksville, North Woodmere Park and Wantagh Park, had significantly greater attendance. With the more popular pools available, he said, funding could be redirected to add other attractions to Morley, such as pickleball courts, tennis courts or splash pads.

"Due to years of neglect the pools require extensive repairs as well as a full staff," said Chris Boyle, a spokesman for Blakeman. "Last year each visit cost taxpayers more than $500. It is obvious that there are other attractions that can be added to the park that would be a better investment and have a wider group of people participate.”

Supporters of reopening the pool, like Jerie Gross of Manhasset, said Nassau County, with a $3.8 billion annual budget, can afford to keep it open and make needed repairs. 

"It's like taking the heart of a human," Gross said of shuttering the pool, which her family had used for decades of summers.

On Tuesday, the pools at Christopher Morley were drained and the facilities appeared dilapidated and in need of extensive improvements. A sign outside announced that the pool was closed.

Nassau Legis. Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D-Glen Cove) said the facilities need an estimated $6 million in repairs. The county's 2022-23 capital budget allots about $10.3 million for improvements at the park through 2026.

"The pools are already here," she said at the rally. "It will basically be using what we have for a valuable purpose. To lose this is really … a huge waste of money."

Desiree Woodson of Manhasset said while Roslyn is an affluent community, Christopher Morley is patronized by many North Shore youth from low-income households.

"A lot of them come and utilize this pool," she said, "and they have no other pool to go to."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.