Though an aging pool at the New Canaan YMCA needs “extensive repairs,” the organization says, there “are no plans to displace” the Caimans or New Canaan High School teams that use it.
Responding to an email for information about the “Valles Pool” after residents voiced fears following an internal YMCA board discussion about the facility’s problems and future, the Y’s vice president of financial development, marketing & strategic initiatives, Kristina Barrett, said that the organization has invested over time in “regular maintenance and significant repairs.”
Barrett continued in an email response: “However, we have extended the life of the roof for as long as possible and are now in need of a complete roof and building envelope replacement, along with some additional repairs. The cost of the project will be significant and necessitates that the Y’s Board of Directors evaluates the investment needed and the best way to proceed with the space. The Board is taking into consideration facility usage, the experience of aquatics users in all pools, the experience of all YMCA members, the age of the pool itself, and the Y’s mission to address current community needs. A decision has not yet been made and any rumors of specific closing dates, plans, or program impact are inaccurate.”
Barrett said that parents of the New Canaan Y Caimans team and the NCHS athletic director are aware that “there are no plans to displace” those teams.
Barrett said that the Y is hoping that the Board will make a decision regarding the Valles Pool in the next few months.
The issue spread through the community following a post on social media last week, and this news outlet received several emails from concerned residents.
In addition to saying they feared that this is the start of a process that ultimately will end the Y’s longstanding and successful swim and dive programs, residents in their emails called for a more public process on the part of the YMCA board that includes wide community feedback, questioned whether the Forese Family Pool could accommodate a swim meet or diving program, said a diminishment of any swim- and dive-related program goes against the Y’s own mission, described the Valles Pool as an important place of milestones in the lives of local people, pointed to what happened with Y’s Aquianas synchronized swimming or “artistic swimming” program one year ago and said that both the Valles and Forese Family Pools must be operational now to accommodate space and schedules for all users, including master’s, lap and recreational swimmers.
Great job, Michael! Most appreciated.
This feels awfully familiar. Major upheaval and changes without any input from the people it actually affects. All behind closed doors and then a public comment under the guise of transparency. Just another example of poor leadership, management and communication at the top. Telling the affected groups vs working towards a solution are two very different things. If anyone truly believes that diving and all aquatic programming won’t be “displaced” should the pool close, they are kidding themselves. It’s just not possible.
As the daughter of the namesake of the Valles pool I can attest in the last several years the treatment of my parents as major donors to the Y has been nothing short of unprofessional and disrespectful of the legacy they left at the New Canaan Y. What a horrible bridge to burn on the Y’s part as their generosity is unbelievable. They truly believed in the Y mission.
Sandra,
Indeed it does sound quite familiar! In summer of 2024 the Y’s top leadership made a decision to stop hosting the Aquianas, a team the Y hosted since 1981:
https://newcanaanite.com/aquianas-artistic-swimming-program-prepares-for-first-season-as-private-nonprofit-team-12253849
Sandra is the current director of the New Canaan Aquianas, so she knows how this terrible series of events (lack of transparency, broken promises, and shocking mismanagement) unfolded. Neither the decision to kick out the nationally acclaimed Aquianas nor the decision to close the Valles included the community members these actions inevitably impact. That everyone was taken by surprise at this news says it all. The Y can claim the decision hasn’t been made, but we all know it has as it’s been in the works for years. Will this town let another aquatic team get kicked out of the Y and/or suffer major programmatic consequences?
I thought the Y’s stance was to support children’s competitive sports including WATER SPORTS! It looks like the New Canaan Y wants to get rid of all children’s WATER sports? They already dropped the Artistic swimming program in 2024. If they do demolish the Valles pool/building and all that is left is the Forese pool it will make it impossible to have both the New Canaan High school swim team and New Canaan Y Caimans Swim team share it along with all the Y members! Plus the Y will no longer be able to host swim meets because the Forese pool isn’t big enough for it and has no observation deck. Has anyone broken the news to the New Canaan Y Dive team that their program will be cancelled if the Valles pool is removed since there is NO diving well in the Forese pool? Swim and Dive team families need to speak up now or their programs will be cancelled like the New Canaan Aquianas Artistic team was in 2024. Very disappointed in the New Canaan Y leadership.
The New Canaan YMCA broke our hearts and trust when they kicked out the NC Aquianas artistic swimming team. not sure who’s worse, karp or Margaret Riley and weak YMCA leadership. 75+ comments of support for the team following similar article in 2024 resulted in the Board swift decision to cut the team.