Ramsey Plans Redesign of Municipal Pool

Ramsey residents may be swimming in a new town pool as early as next summer. The borough is considering an update to its current municipal pool, which was built nearly 50 years ago, Ramsey Council President Ken Tyburczy said at a meeting earlier this month.

Two years ago, the council commissioned a study that found that the pool was in “somewhat disrepair,” Tyburczy said. Since then, a pool committee has been working with Wade Associates, an NJ swimming pool consultant, to develop possible plans for a rehab of the aging facility, he said.

After seeing plans for two different options at the meeting, council members expressed a preference for a new pool that would have a sectioned-off wading pool area inside it, instead of constructing a separate wading pool. The design would also reuse the current slide at the pool, and “as much of the existing pool as possible,” Tyburczy said.

The plan would likely not include a diving board, as officials said public pools are trending away from boards, which require deeper water and come with increased liabilities for the town. However, diving would be allowed off the side of the pool.

The new design would emphasize aqua-aerobics and other exercise-oriented activities, like vertical exercise areas, learn to swim programs, and competitive swim.

“We are always looking to promote wellness in the community,” Tyburczy said.

The committee is continuing to tweak design elements of the proposed project, he said.

The new pool would cost about $2M, official said. According to Borough Administrator Bruce Vozeh, Ramsey would ideally like to go out to bid to build the project this May, begin construction at the end of the 2013 swimming season, and open the new pool in time for the start of the 2014 swimming season, so construction would not interrupt any pool operation time.

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