From the Times Ledger:City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said he was shocked to find out recently that the city Parks Department is planning to close down Fort Totten’s swimming pool as part of its 2011 fiscal year budget.
The agency said during a budgetary hearing last week that the fort’s pool would be one of four in the city to be shuttered. The councilman had been told several weeks ago that funding was in place for the site.
“I met with Parks weeks ago and there was no indication this was happening,” Halloran said. “This completely blindsided me. It’s the only open-air pool in eastern Queens.”
The pool had undergone upgrades, including resealing and landscaping, during the past two fiscal budget cycles. But it could close down as early as July 1 when the Parks Department’s new fiscal year begins, Halloran said.
“We just spent half a million dollars refurbishing this thing, so this is ludicrous,” he said. “It’s disingenuous they are doing this at the 11th hour. It was rehabilitated and allotted a whole lot of money.”
In a statement, Parks announced its plan to close the pool as well as shorten the swimming season for its other city pools by two weeks. The agency said the move would save the city $1.4 million.
15 comments:
Unfortunately, some of the people that use the pool are not the cleanest - my friend tells me about the occasional turd floating past her.
On that note - I'm certain the maintenance of the pool is costly. The pool can be used by army personnel rather than by the public - they also have a bus that runs all day from the parking area to the site and back.
Perhaps if Hallaron spent some time there - or even for that matter in his supposedly hometown - he would know why the pool is closing temporarily.
Save the city 1.4 but spend 2 billion in rioting cleanup.
Close the pool but.....
BP Marty Markowitz still has over $ 70 million dollars for a boondoogle of an Amphitheater in Seaside Park , Brooklyn. A monument to himself.
Here's the breakdown :
$ 1 million from Councilman Recchia
$2 million from Sen. Carl Kruger
$10 million from Mayor Bloomberg
Over $58 millionn from Marty's piggy bank...
Now does this make sense ?
To keep it open, privatize it. That's the true Republican solution, Mr. Halloran.
The Y ran it for a few years, and only opened it to the public 2-3 days a week - they should try looking back at that
Welcome to our OOL, notice there's no P in it, lets keep it that way!!!
To Babs~ Thanks for exposing that it takes a "liberal" to hate their neighbors as much as you do.
my friend tells me about the occasional turd floating past her.
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Hey Babs...your friend was referring to YOU!
Boy, Babs, no matter what neighborhood Crappy posts about, you just know something or someone there. I agree... the only turd in that pool is you.
Most people don't even know that pool is there.
BTW, what Army personnel can use it, Babs? It's no longer an Army base, but owned by NYC and used by the Army Reserve. No (or very very few) Army personnel actually live there. The pool doesn't belong to the Army, but to NYC, so the city would still be paying to maintain it.
Repuk - I do not hate my neighbors - on the contrary.
My neighbors have built-in pools and/or second homes in the Hamptons BTW - they are not interested in the Fort Totten public pool.
I think it is wonderful that it is there. Fort Totten is beautiful and the area is frequented by many joggers, boaters, runners, walkers, etc. BUT the pool regulars are not respectful to THEIR neighbors are they idiot when they put their babies with the dirty diapers in the pool.
If you went by the Fort, you would see that the Army still maintains a presence there.
I'm sure when things improve - they will reopen it.
The army reserve base is separated from the rest of the fort, which is a public park.
Plans afoot to push the projects out of Astoria Pool by yuppifying it - part of Vallone Sr efforts to shoehorn 10,000s into Old Astoria.
This is ridiculous, some people who live by Fort Totten can't afford to buy a pool so they go here. Where are they supposed to go now? Some can't afford the expensive club memberships either.
Maybe a public beach..with public transportation?
Funding was restored. http://www.forttotten.org
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