WEST SENECA, N.Y. — In May, the West Seneca town board voted to close their public pool. That decision sparked outrage. Town Supervisor Gary Dickson held a board meeting Monday night to decide the future of the pool and the potential of using this space for something else. But this meeting was not met without resistance that ultimately resulted in a change of plans.
Members of West Seneca Swims gathered Monday evening outside the community center wearing all black in protest to symbolize a funeral for their beloved pool — a pool that protestors like Courtney Frances Fallon believe is a crucial piece of the community.
“They're so eager to cut costs in any way, shape or form,” she said.
“But they're not even taking into account that closing the pools depreciates the value of the community center.”
But that is cost the board thinks is just too much, as hundreds of thousands of dollars in renovations and yearly upkeep and a national lifeguard shortage make it difficult to keep the pool afloat.
“Does anybody here want to be a lifeguard? Is there anybody here have children that they can encourage? That they hadn't been before?” Dickson said.
“Lifeguarding is the critical issue because as Councilman Breidenstein said, if we don't have lifeguards, it doesn't matter what the pool is like. It’s not going to open.”
After four hours of deliberations, the town board decided to put the demolition on hold for at least the next year.