The Town of North Hempstead is looking to give the pool at Clinton G. Martin Park a possible multi-million-dollar update more than 50 years after it opened.
Town officials on Monday will present plans and solicit community feedback on several options for the first major renovation at the New Hyde Park pool since it opened in 1962, town Parks Commissioner Jill Weber said.
“People in the district like having the pool, and if this is a resource they want to continue, we’re going have to put some money into it to bring it up to date,” Weber said.
The project would add new features to the main pool and kiddie pool, update its pumps and other infrastructure, repave walkways and restore the park’s tennis courts, Weber said.
Marianna Wohlgemuth, a North New Hyde Park civic activist who sits on an advisory committee for the project, said the update could cost up to $15 million. About $9 million of that could account for infrastructure fixes, she said.
The town expects to start construction after this summer’s pool season ends, Weber said. The pool is open from June through September.
The project’s exact cost and timeline will depend on community feedback, Weber said, as Ronkonkoma-based engineering firm J.R. Holzmacher has developed several options for how the project could go forward.
Engineers have continued to revise the plans, Wohlgemuth said, but options include a new water slide, splash features for the kiddie pool, reconfiguring the bathrooms and adding a party room to the building.
“It’s just going to be beautiful,” Wohlgemuth said.
The pool is open to residents of the New Hyde Park Special Park District, which runs Clinton G. Martin Park and would manage the renovation, Weber said. The district covers North New Hyde Park, the Village of New Hyde Park, Garden City Park, Herricks and Searingtown.
The advisory committee of seven park district residents and a representative of town Supervisor Judi Bosworth have been developing the renovation since Bosworth took office in 2014, town spokeswoman Carole Trottere said.
The town has maintained the pool over the years, Weber said, but many mechanical parts are so old that finding replacements has become difficult. Wohlgemuth said.
“It’s very outdated and it’s reached its lifespan,” she said.
Wohlgemuth and Weber said they think the renovation could boost pool memberships.
Membership fees for park district residents run from $88 for seniors to $248 for families.
“I think that community’s looking for a beautiful new pool,” Weber said. “I couldn’t imagine people wouldn’t want to take advantage of it.”
Town officials and the advisory committee will present the renovation plans from 7:30 to 9 p.m. May 31 at Clinton G. Martin Park, at 1601 Marcus Ave. in New Hyde Park. A question and comment period will follow the presentation.
