Fox News Says "We Report - You Decide".  My tag-line on this subject would be more like... "I Vacillate - You Decide".

I Love Graydon Pool the Way it Is!

Whether the Pool Project is a Blessing or Boondoggle depends largely on who you ask.  We have a town divided.  I am a Ridgewood Resident with two young children and our family goes to Graydon.  I always liked the idea of the sand bottom and the natural look and feel of Graydon.  It made our pool different and more fun.  And, of course, I don't love the idea of our town making a huge investment during these uncertain financial times.  If you love Graydon the way it is be sure to visit the Preserve Graydon Coalition Site.

The New Ridgewood Pool Project is a Great Idea!

Clearly I am confused and probably confusing you in the process.  If I love Graydon the way it is,  how can the Ridgewood Pool Project be a great idea?  Well...after reading the Ridgewood Pool Project Report and talking to one of the co-chairs I think I was swayed to the dark side, or the right side, depending on your vantage point.  Click here to view the full PDF version of the Ridgewood Pool Project July 2009 Report.  It seems like the facts below are irrefutable or at least I am told they are.  So much for doing my own research.  Anyway, being a paranoid concerned  parent and a bit of a germaphobe this sentence from the report was the clincher.  "Graydon is allowed to have roughly 200 times the bacteria count of a traditional pool". At least until I run into an anti-Pool Project person who convinces that me that the additional tax burden will be much more scary than the germs.

Below is a bit more detailed info from the supporters of the Ridgewood Pool Project

FACTS ABOUT GRAYDON POOL AND THE RIDGEWOOD POOL PROJECT

1.       Membership at Graydon has fallen 70 percent in ten years.  Where towns like Glen Rock have 40 percent of its residents join the pool, Ridgewood now has only 7 percent.  Hundreds of Ridgewood families now belong to other traditional pool facilities, with Indian Trail Club, Saddle River Valley Swim Club, Paramus Pool and Stony Brook in Hillsdale being the most popular.

2.       The Ridgewood Pool Project (RPP) is not a special interest group- it was formed through Village Parks & Recreation and is officially advised by several senior Village staff members.  It initially started with a neutral, research-based approach, and its mission assigned by Village Council in 2006 was to find out why residents are leaving Graydon and what will bring them back.  The RPP began advocating for a pool renovation once the research was complete and showed overwhelmingly that this was the only approach that would restore Graydon to a community gathering place for current and future generations.

3.       Following an EPA ruling, the Village is no longer allowed to use any chemicals to disinfect the water at Graydon.  Although the pond passes all of its water tests and is deemed perfectly healthy by the State, the standards for bacteria levels in the water are much lower than those for swimming pools.  In essence, Graydon is allowed to have roughly 200 times the bacteria count of a traditional pool. 

4.       Research indicates that many residents - particularly young families, who make up nearly half of the Village population and are essential to restoring membership levels - indicate they will only return to Graydon if it becomes a traditional, cement-bottom pool (although they do want to keep a unique, natural looking feel).  The reasons are: they want the swimming water to be disinfected, and they want to be able to see children under the water.  Meetings with DEP officials in 2008 confirmed that as long as Graydon is a pond, it cannot be disinfected.

5.       Following a concept from a pool designer that was too commercial looking, the RPP had resident and architect Nicole Walla provide a rendering that marries modern pool design with the natural beauty and nostalgia of Graydon (http://ridgewoodpoolproject.googlepages.com/newdesignconcept).  The design provides for a separate, sizeable pond at the corner of Linwood and Maple, which is intended to be ornamental but could be swimmable if there is resident interest.

6.       There are absolutely no official cost estimates for the new design concept.  Though the original design was quoted at $13.9 million and a revised number of $10 million has been circulating, the RPP has absolutely no confirmation of this number and will not have that information available until the Village RFP process is completed later this year.  Regardless, the RPP is confident, based on its research, that a new facility can be self-funding and self-sustaining through membership fees.

The Ridgewood Pool Project is not without its Detractors

Just ask the folks at the The Preserve Graydon Coalition...

"Founded in July 2009, the Coalition is dedicated to retaining the unique character of Ridgewood's historic Graydon Park, including its large, open swimming area, center rafts, and extensive sandy beaches. We provide accurate information about Graydon's safe, clean water. We enlist the support of residents who love Graydon and would deplore its loss to a concrete-based facility with a much smaller pool."

The folks at the Preserve Graydon Coaltion say The Water is Clearer - If You Take the Time To Look

So...Can I borrow your opinion on this debate while still finalizing my own? What do you think?  Blessing?  Boondoggle?  Mix of both?

If you would like more info on this ongoing debate see the links below:

Preserve Graydon Coalition Makes Presence Known at Ridgewood Meeting

The Preserve Graydon Coalition holds their first meeting

CEO for Graydon ?

Graydon: Is that a problem we should spend $10 million on to solve?

Click below to view the original article:

Ridgewood's Graydon Pool Project: Blessing or Boondoggle?