COLONIE — The town pool will not open this year.
Supervisor Paula Mahan said it is not clear when the town could have opened the widely popular pool and the adjacent new splash park, but it likely would not have been in time to make it worth the town’s resources before having to close it up again.
“If we open it up for just a few weeks, it is not cost effective and we are getting updates from the state and Albany County and while the medical professionals say we can’t get the virus from the pool itself, the problem is what happens when people get out of the pool. How do you maintain social distancing?” she said.
The Olympic-sized swimming pool is located at the Mohawk River Park and Pool off Route 9 in Latham. In addition to the pool, it is home to the Latham Lassies, it has a boat launch and a number of pavilions. The pool recently underwent a major renovation and the $900,000, 11,000-square-foot splash pad was opened last summer.
“Our parks are still open and people can bike and hike and walk,” Mahan said. “We have plenty of open space for summer activities.”
The eight-county Capital District began Phase I of the reopening process last week and Phase II is slated for June 1. Recreational venues, like a community swimming pool, will not open until Phase IV, and the earliest that could happen in the Capital District is July 1, provided the numbers hold and there is not a spike in cases, hospitalizations or deaths.
