RVC, Lynbrook agree to pool use

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Village residents, lead by Mary Beth Kearns, presented a petition for a public pool at the July 14 Board of Trustees meeting. At the Sept. 8 meeting, Mayor Francis X. Murray told the public that the village had found a temporary solution – 100 family memberships at Lynbrook’s town pool would be open to Rockville Centre residents for summer 2015.

Murray reached the agreement after a discussion with Lynbrook Mayor William Hendrick. At the recent meeting, Murray read a letter outlining the agreement. The letter said that, pending the Rockville Centre village board’s approval, 100 family pool memberships would be open to Rockville Centre residents for the 2015 pool season. The memberships would cost $750 per family.

“It’s about $8 a day,” said Murray. “And that’s the whole family.”

Families who live within the incorporated village of Lynbrook pay $350 for a membership, while families in the unincorporated areas pay $450. The 2015 pool season begins May 23 and ends Sept. 7.

In the meantime, Murray has asked Jack Matthews, the chair of the Citizens’ Budget Advisory Committee, to head a group of residents to research and study the feasibility of a village pool, including a possible location, cost analysis, seasonal versus year-round, and more.

“There is a lot to do,” Murray said. “It’s going to take a while.”

When Kearns presented her petition to the board, it had 322 signatures. It has more than 500 signatures as of Sept. 15.

However, Murray said that residents had sent him letters that said they did not want a pool, because they did not want to pay more taxes. “We think outside the box here up on this board,” Murray said. “And I believe we have a very good short-term answer to our residents, at no cost to anybody who does not want to use a pool.”

Murray also said that Hendrick told him that Lynbrook loses money on its pool every year. In his letter, Hendrick listed the activities available at the Lynbrook pool, including water aerobics, swimming lessons, and movie nights.

The Lynbrook town pool is at Greis Park, which is about three miles west of Rockville Centre, between Merrick Road and Sunrise Highway off of Horton Avenue.

“Anybody who lives in our village lives at least two minutes from our Rec Center,” said Murray. “So without anytime at all you will be right over there.”