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Earlier this week, Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced that in an attempt to reopen the pool in Yonkers before July 4 last year, contractors rushed work at the pool, which resulted in structural issues. It was originally scheduled to be opened up next week, but concerns about the pool led officials to shut it down for the summer.
Sprain Ridge consists of a pair of pools, an “activity” and “competition” pool, Latimer noted, and construction work will be done on both of them over the summer to improve the structural quality.
In response to the pool being forced to shutter its doors, several events have been moved or rescheduled. Among the rescheduled programs and events:
- Family Fun Day on July 7 has been relocated to The Brook at Tibbetts Brook Park in Yonkers;
- Movie Night at Sprain on Wednesday, Aug. 8 has been moved to Croton Point Park in Croton;
- Learn to Swim lessons will be offered at the county’s other swimming areas: Saxon Woods Pool, The Brook at Tibbetts Brook Park, Willson’s Woods Pool and Playland Pool. Refunds and rescheduling accommodations are available as well. Parents can call (914)-231-4551 for information.
Officials noted that Saxon Woods, Playland, Tibbetts and Wilson’s Woods pools will all be open on a full summer schedule, beginning on Friday, June 22.
The unexpected reconstruction of the pool tapered expectations after reopening with "great fanfare and optimism" last year.
“When you’re rushing toward a deadline due to a desire to have the pool open in a certain timetable, it can become problematic and was opened premature,” he said. “Everything should have been checked and double checked. Construction of the pool was very rushed, and that led to the problems we’re dealing with now.”
According to Latimer, last year, the work took six months, although the scope of the new renovation is between 12 and 15 months. During the project, Sprain Ridge Park will remain open for the summer, but the pools will remain closed for the foreseeable future., possibly into next year's summer.
“If the work takes more than 12 months, then it will eat into next year’s season,” he added. “Our hope is that we can open on time, but I’m not about to make a promise I don’t know we can honor.
“We’re going to make sure that it gets reconstructed properly, and our intent is to see it open for next summer, though that timetable may be problematic. It’s disappointing to all of us, and there will be an investigative element to it to determine what decisions were made by which professionals involved in the project that had to be undone and redone.”
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