Numbers have been declining steadily over the years, and the prevailing reasons given for people dropping out are the appearance of unsanitary conditions. The natural sand-bottomed pool gives it the look of a grungy lake, rather than the crystal blue waters that we prefer the look of. The presence of wildfowl probably doesn't help. either.
While these might be valid reasons, I don't believe that we would see a significant increase in numbers if we went ahead, spent millions, and ended up with a crystal-clean looking waterpark.
Why ?
Times have changed. Today's parents aren't into sitting out at Graydon for hours while their kids play in the water. There will still be the concerns over the perceptions of germ-filled water. Today's families are more into backyard pools, where the parents can still go about their home-based lifestyles while their kids play.
As for Graydon, I say convert it into non-water recreation, such as mini-golf, volleyball courts, and a kiddie playpark.
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23 comments:
We may not need a town pool at all. A resident only park used for outdoor art installations would be nice. Maybe the volleyball court too. It would cost next to nothing to maintain and you would not need committments from people who may not really join.
I can't sit at Graydon for hours. I don't think that the town wants me leaving my kids there either.
I like having a local pool, but at what cost? I would be very interested in hearing other options, there has to be some middle ground here.
As for a "resident only park". Not in the State of New Jersey. It is not permitted. It was challenged in Prospect Park years back and the courts ruled against the town. Parks are for "all people".
A local pool could be Paramus,Indian Trails, Allendale or the Upper saddle River Pool.
When my children were young we used a small inflatable pool with a plastic slide and then graduated to a large inflatable pool. It was convenient and a lot of fun. I don't need the town to help me have fun with friends & family.
BTW - in the early summer we had to be persistent in shooing away a pair of ducks.
I know lots of Ridgewood people who sit by the town pool for hours and watch their kids swim - they just do it in Paramus or Hillsdale.
agree with 4:52....I did just that yetserday.....on a sunny Sunday afternoon....the Paramus pool was packed....with Ridgewood residents....
Better to close it than to turn it into a water park for $14 million. And taxes would have to go up.
Membership would not fund it, people are using back yard pools or going away.
I love Graydon as is, but if it is losing money I understand the need for closing but not the need for any change that would reduce unstructured swimming area and have taxes go up to boot.
I would not use a small pool. complete waste for me.
Here's my take on Graydon. Have you seen the number of backyard pools (inground and above ground) that people have put in over the last 10 years? After investing in an alternative to Graydon in your own backyard (clear, clean filtered, within ear-shoot of the house), why would you EVER go back to Graydon? Times have changed. Lots of families with both parents working...Mom working from home and needs to be near the phone and the computer. The era of the Graydon community pool that is used by a large percentage of the population is really over. The only thing that really brings people together is swim meets.
How many people left Graydon and put a pool in their own backyard?
These people would not be going back to Graydon if it was improved...
We put in a beautiful pool and it was one of the best things that we did. We know our children's friends and we entertain with our friends & family.
I can't get that at a town pool.
I still don't have a pool in my backyard and I used to regularly by Graydon passes for the whole family. What we found was that we were using them less and less, maybe as little as 3-5 times a year.
Why were we spending less time there?
That's easy. I couldn't put my towel down in a spot free of geese droppings;
I didn't like being in the water with errant feathers floating around;
I did worry that geese poop would be carried back into our home from everything we bring back with us that came in contact with the ground;
The water looks and feels "different" at the end of the year compared to how it felt in the beginning (two years ago August was the final time for me. The water felt gross and I knew then I would never be back);
We know little kids pee and poop in their diapers and they're IN the pool. Maybe an area that is walled off (a low wall)for them would eliminate that concern.
I like Graydon pond for its relaxing beauty so I would hate to see it become a cement bottom pool. Also, I don't mind a cement pool, but the central and open location of Graydon does not lend itself to such a facility. No matter what is done, it would look tacky at that location.
Are there still geese and waterfowl there?
When did my town become the disney land of northern new jersey? Just another place to dump the kids? It looks like the parents need to grow up more than the kids.
Why did these hermits move to Ridgewood? They barricade themselves in their yards then want to tear down a natural wonder that they're not interested in anyway. They wouldn't be interested in the megawaterpark either. It would be too plebian for them. Let them all hoot and holler from their computers while we enjoy one of God's gifts - Graydon!
2:25 Are there still waterfowl there?
The geese are gone. Each morning dogs patrol the pool and a blank is shot off. There are no geese on the grounds and no droppings. A couple of stray ducks are still there, but alot less than there used to be. They are scooped away in nets. I hope a stray feather every now and than won't bother you too much.
I know the water quality was not that good in the past, but it is much better now. Aerators have been istatlled to pump oxygen into the water to prevent algae growth.
I am not "barricaded" in my backyard. I have a job, extended family and many friends. Graydon has never beed the center of my life. In the summer we entertain in the backyard - a lot. Life is Good.
Make changes to Graydon but don't build an ugly water park. Even the waterparks are loosing money. The council has a fiduciary responsibility. They cannot cater to the wants of a few.
I agree with many here. I don't have a pool in my backyard and I'm not sure I want one either. My two newly teens have absolutely no interest in Graydon any more.
I do believe that times have changed the level of interest, along with the economy. Parents who had time to spend with their kids at Graydon have probably had to find jobs!
I think Graydon, as it stands now, has all the natural elements to create a beautiful park that everyone in the Village could enjoy.
I think we need to continue to improve Graydon so people who want a town pool will come back. As 6:33 states, the geese are gone and the water is very clear now with the two new aerators. The trick now is to get people to come and see for themselves and not be scared off by their or their friends experiences in past years.
you are missing the point...it may be better then it was...but no where near as nice as it is in paramus...once you have used a superior facility....tough to go back to that sandy bottomed swimming hole....and please don't tell me to move there. I am here to stay and my taxes pay to subsidize that underused swimming hole....
12:54 "no where near as nice as Paramus"
It is all a matter of opinion. Many people from Paramus who came and used Graydon last year when their pool was closed said to me, "I don't know what all the fuss is about, this pool is so much nicer than our pool in Paramus.
Just went to the pool on Sunday.
It was great! Not crowded, my kids met their friends there, and we all swam and had fun.
The facility is clean and looks like the town is working hard to improve it. There was a family of ducks but no geese and no poop. the ducks weren't much of a problem; they stayed away from people. Oh and no feathers in the water either.
The pool fits in very naturally with the surroundings. I think a water park in there is a waste of money.
12:54 AM
We can't pick and choose what our taxes subsidize. There are a lot of residents who do not use the schools and pay quite a bit to "subsidize" education. That's the way it goes.
You don't have to move to Paramus, just use their pool.
Memo to Graydon management:
If it's true that the water is cleaner and the poop is all but gone, then members you have lost may actually come back. I notice the improvements as I drive by (nice job), but my biggest thing was the water and geese droppings. I had no idea that you had actually dealt with these problems until reading this blog thread.
My suggestion:
Have a free weekend for village residents who used to be past members. Lure them back. You should be able to find past registrations and mail these families a coupon to sample the new Graydon. I'm sure you may get some permanent returns as a result.
You need to do some PR! Don't just sit there and let the facility wither away and die.
Other town pools have goose poop problems too. So do most parks and playgrounds. It's the grass they're interested in, not the water. Some places are installing the fake dog cutouts with loose heads that move in the wind. Seem to work pretty good.
The only people at the pool all day are the swim team and their parents. These are the same people who expect to work at Graydon when they are 16 & 17.
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