Christopher Morley Park pool may not reopen because of poor attendance, Bruce Blakeman says

The swimming pool at Christopher Morley Park in Roslyn may not reopen as a decline in the number of visitors has prompted Nassau County to reassess whether to fund improvements and maintenance, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said this week. 

The main swimming pool, diving tank and kiddie pool have remained closed for the start of summer after Blakeman said the county is evaluating if it should be reopened. The remainder of the 98-acre park, including athletic fields, a nine-hole golf course and nature trails, remains open.

“It’s a beautiful park, but each and every year, we reevaluate whether we’re offering the types of attractions and recreational alternatives people in our communities want,” Blakeman said. “At Morley Park, there’s been a steady decline of patrons, so there’s going to be a reevaluation. We have to make repairs such as long-term capital investments and the daily maintenance is very expensive. We’re evaluating the situation now.”

Blakeman 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 greater attendance.

Blakeman said with the more popular pools available, funding could be redirected to other attractions, such as pickleball courts, tennis courts or splash pads that could attract more people at Morley.

“I don’t mind spending money, but it has to be spent wisely and right now we are concerned about making a large capital improvement in a pool that gets little use,” Blakeman said. “If we have a large number of people attending, we would make improvements, but if you have a pool like this and only 20 people show up, it’s not very cost-efficient.”

Rabbi Yaakov Reiter, from Chabad of Roslyn's Camp Gan Israel, said about 100 children used the Morley pool twice a week in the past. He said the camp has had to make other arrangements but that he has spoken with the parks department and would like to see the pool reopened. He said the camp now has to drive children 20 minutes to Cantiague Park or use Whitney Pond Park in Manhasset.

“We have made very good use of it. It was very convenient, right across the street from where we run our camp,” Reiter said. “We have used Morley Park for many years and it’s a great pool. If there’s any way they can reevaluate that, we would appreciate it for the children in the community."

Blakeman said the park is in need of major repairs and daily maintenance, but he did not specify how much the pool costs to operate.

The county's 2022-23 capital budget allots about $10.3 million for improvements at the park through 2026. The budget also calls for $11.7 million in improvements and code compliance for the county’s four pools.

Meanwhile in West Hempstead, the Echo Park Pool complex has been closed since January and is undergoing the first phase of about $2 million in upgrades on the outdoor and indoor pools, Hempstead Town officials said. Officials hope to reopen the pools by the end of the summer.

The town is replacing its filtration systems, loose concrete, sealant and lighting at the pools and replacing the roof and skylights of the indoor pool.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.