[Margaret Riley is CEO of the New Canaan YMCA]
Dear friends,
I have had the privilege of leading our amazing YMCA for the last five years. More times than I can count, a member has approached me to tell me how our Y has changed their lives. These stories motivate me, and all our staff and board, to work to ensure that our Y is here for decades to come, so that future generations of New Canaanites can experience the joy this place delivers daily. We serve many functions. We are a full-day childcare, camp, gym, fitness center, aquatics facility, place for inclusion and support programming, chronic disease support, and community center where people come to connect.
When a place means so much to the community, it’s understandable that you would feel passionate about being engaged with any potential change. I have heard your concerns regarding the future of the Valles Pool and am writing to share an update and to ask for your input.
Our Valles Pool building has been an important part of our Y’s aquatics facilities for 46 years. It’s where swimmers and divers have achieved success, contributed to team legacies, built confidence, and made lasting friendships. Our Masters and lap swimmers pursue their life-long love of swimming and support each other as friends. We have been proud that for the last 25 years the building has carried the name Valles, a tribute to the support that Carol and Jean Paul Valles provided our YMCA for decades.
Facility Analysis & What We Learned from the Community
Three years ago, an architect and engineer concluded that the Valles building requires repairs that will span 1-2 years of construction at a cost of millions of dollars. The building will need to be closed by the end of this year. Our board responsibly met that news by establishing a committee to confirm that the required investment would result in a facility that best addresses the needs of all our constituencies.
The committee engaged a consultant to conduct a community needs assessment. With the help of our Town and community leaders, we identified that the community needs our support to battle social isolation by fostering connections and supporting mental health for all ages, most especially our children. The Y was encouraged to offer more recreational opportunities that are low-pressure and non-competitive. We heard that the Y needs to serve as an open and supportive place, and provide more opportunities for children, teens, adults, seniors, and families to connect.
The committee also thoroughly studied member usage of our entire facility and current program demands. We know that the best way to understand what our community wants and needs is to observe what you do when you’re here. We know you’re often waiting to use equipment in the Wellness Center; are frustrated by needing to reserve space for crowded group exercise classes; are dissatisfied with the location of our Mind/Body Center; would like more time in the gymnasium for pickleball, volleyball, and basketball; and would like to sign your children up for programs without the stress of being placed on a waitlist. And although bustling with team activity after school for three to four hours and some mornings, the Valles Pool is underutilized for the majority of the day.
Concept Review
Informed by the data they gathered, our committee explored options for the Valles space that balance the needs and interests of the greatest number of our community members within the square footage limits of our property.
The first plan we developed was the repair of the Valles Building. This would allow the Y’s swim and dive teams who use the Valles Pool, to remain in their preferred pool locations, and all teams (including the NCHS teams) to continue to hold meets in the Valles Pool, which is more conducive for both participants and spectators with larger deck and spectator space. (We have confirmed with USA Swimming and CIAC that the Forese Pool, which is a certified permanent racing course, can also host meets). Maintaining a dive well would also allow our dive team to remain on-site. Our lap and Masters swimmers would also continue to enjoy flexible schedules, water temperature options, and consistent private lane availability.
The committee then reviewed additional concepts reimagining the Valles space, thoughtfully considering the benefits and compromises of each.
We learned that if we remove the Valles Pool, the building footprint could accommodate the following benefits for our members and community:
- A New Aquatic Learning and Training Center with smaller pools dedicated to swim lessons, aquatic exercise and swim training
- An Expanded and Upgraded Main Fitness Center
- New Auxiliary Gymnasium: Increasing time in our main gymnasium for pickleball, volleyball, & basketball; providing additional recreational programs; and allowing access from waitlists for summer camp and afterschool childcare.
- New Family Activity Center: A new destination for families, including a larger home for Bouncing Bears, gym space for childcare and programs, and a new playspace for babysitting and family drop-in time • Relocated & Larger Group Exercise Center
- Relocated Mind Body Center for yoga, Pilates, barre, and more.
- Adaptive Support Studio for our special needs programs and growing chronic disease initiatives, and a
- Multi-Purpose Program Space for non-athletic programs, events, and drop-in activities for all (e.g. STEAM, music, art, games, crafts, etc.)
Next Steps
- As stated earlier, regardless of how we proceed, the Valles Pool will be closed late this year. We are in the process of developing schedules for the Forese Lap Pool that provide a meaningful experience for our participants, and we are pleased with the balance we achieved. We have discussed these schedules with coaches, NCHS athletics staff, and lap swimmers. The practice times of the swim teams will be unchanged, though the pool will, at times, be more crowded. Our lap swimming schedule will be adjusted. Our diving program would need to be relocated to a facility with a dive well. Nearby options are currently being explored with our head coach. The divers on the NCHS teams would have these same options available to them, as would the divers from other towns who currently use our pool. We are in the process of meeting with representatives from each of the affected groups to review how to maintain their Y positive experience.
We Want to Hear From You
As a final step in our decision-making regarding the future of the Y, we’d like to hear from you regarding your YMCA experience, interests, and insight. Thank you for your engagement in ensuring a strong future for the New Canaan YMCA.
Please click here to complete our survey, which will be open through Friday, 6/12.
As a member of the NCY for more than 25 years, and one who regularly uses the Valles and Forese pools for lap swimming, I am writing in response to the Op-Ed of Margaret Riley, CEO of the NCY. The designation of this Op-Ed as an Op-Ed is curious, as it appears to be little more than a solicitation to help justify the unjustifiable: the potential or likely permanent closure and destruction of a cherished and valued 46-year-old pool because the roof above the pool needs to be repaired. The Valles pool is much more than a mere “swimming pool” and its elimination would have lasting and irreversible negative impacts on an important segment of the youth in New Canaan and surrounding towns, as well as many adult members and the community at large.
By way of background, I grew up in Greenwich and became a competitive swimmer somewhere around age 7. Participating first in the FCSL and then quickly into year-round competitive teams, I continued with the sport through college. I have fond memories of competing at annual Thanksgiving meets in the Valles pool as a teenager and then against the New Canaan High School Boys Swim Team. I returned to using the Valles pool some 25 years ago when I moved to a neighboring town. I provide this background simply to highlight that I know what it means to be a swimmer, the value of a pool to youth and adults, and the value of a long-standing resource that has positively affected the lives of far too many people to easily count.
I urge the NCY membership and the overall community to consider the following if or when completing the questionnaire and to hopefully conclude that the Valles pool needs to be retained.
The Valles pool is the crown jewel of the NCY aquatic resources and likely the NCY itself. The Valles pool hosts the long-successful Caimans Swim Team, Whirlwind Diving Team, the New Canaan High girls and boys swimming and diving teams, Masters swimmers, and countless lap swimmers, as well as other users. It is a large community. The Valles pool is where the high school teams practice and host home swim/dive meets. It has hosted countless Y meets, diving meets and I believe once hosted artistic (formerly synchronized) swimming competitions. I have witnessed and understand that the pool has also been used to conduct beginner swimming lessons, exercise classes, lifeguard training programs, scuba classes, summer day camp swimming activities. and likely many other aquatic activities.
The Valles pool is unique to the New Canaan community and those around it because of its configuration. I have always understood the Valles pool to be approximately 33 meters in length (and perhaps a bit longer). This unique length was evidently the result of zoning restrictions that precluded it from being an Olympic-sized pool of 50 meters. But the size nevertheless allows for a variety of important configurations. For competitive and lap swimmers, the pool can be configured as either a 25 yard or 25 meter pool and still retain a dedicated deep end. The deep end itself hosts two one-meter and two three-meter diving boards. The three meter boards, to my knowledge, are unique to the area and allow the NYC to have a nationally recognized diving program that has graduated untold numbers of collegiate divers, not to mention all of the diving participants who have ever been part of the team. All of those participants have undoubtedly gotten more out of the programs than just learning to dive; dedication, resilience, team bonding, time management, adversity, etc., all of which are aspirations for the NCY.
The benefits to the youth and the community at-large of the size and possible configurations of the Valles pool cannot be overstated and will be lost forever if the Valles pool is eliminated. Once it is gone, it will never be brought back. And the Forese pool, as beautiful as it is, is no substitute and was, to my knowledge, never intended to be. At the end of the day, the NCY is more than fortunate to have two working lap pools, but each serves a very different purpose.
First, there is not and can never be a diving program in the Forese pool. There is neither deck space to install diving boards nor depth for such use (it is 10 ft deep vs. 13 feet in Valles). Not being a diver or parent of a diver, I cannot fully comment on the effects but it seems that completely eliminating the Valles pool will certainly mean the end of any diving programs for the youth of New Canaan and surrounding towns. And however New Canaanites may feel about Darien athletics, it will likely also mean the end of Darien’s girls and boys diving teams, as they train and I believe sometimes compete in Valles. I am unaware of other facilities in the area that could reasonably accommodate any of these teams. Likewise, Whirlwind will not only lose access to the one-meter boards, which are what are used for high school competitions, but the three-meter boards, which are vital to year-round divers at the regional, national, and collegiate levels.
Second, on the swimming side, the Forese pool is also not a substitute. The lanes are narrower and it is not clear whether the narrower lanes preclude the pool from being used for competitions. But even if Forese could be used for meets, there is no legitimate spectator area or infrastructure for timing systems and a results board. The narrower lanes are also harder for adult swimmers, many of whom are not familiar with or generally able to share a lane.
For those who have never swum competitively, practices are grueling. Competitive swimmers typically practice between one and half to two hours per day, 5-7 days per week for most of the year. Such practices require maintaining a much cooler pool temperature than most routine or casual lap swimmer’s desire. The temperature of a large pool cannot be changed on a dime and anyone who has never been a competitive swimmer who argues that temperature doesn’t matter doesn’t know what they are talking about. If the NCY is serious about maintaining its long-standing, highly successful swim teams (Caimans and the high school teams), which have produced innumerable college athletes, the teams must have access to a cooler pool, which will be (and always has been) opposed by most lap swimmers.
Even if the Forese pool could somehow satisfy the various swim teams and lap swimmers, which seems dubious at best, the NCY has made no effort to explain how a pool schedule can accommodate all of the desired pool time by the various swimmers.
With all of this background, and with full appreciation that the roof above the Valles pool evidently has serious issues that need to be addressed, which will cause disruption of all aquatic programs for a period of time, the Op-Ed appears to be little more than an attempt to justify a terrible a decision that either has already been made or at least is something of a foregone conclusion: that the Valles pool will be eliminated. The bias in the statements made in the Op-Ed and the questions in the questionnaire are palpable. As a starting point, the evident structural issues surrounding the Valles pool have been known for at least three years and suddenly there is a seemingly urgent interest in involving the community in deciding what to do. How can the community be given just 8 days to chime in on something this important? Somewhat strangely, this interest is also not singularly focused on the current NCY membership, who are the people who best know their wants and needs (and who are paying for the privilege of using the facilities). Instead, the outreach includes the community at large, which could result in undue consideration of persons who have never been and never will be NCY members over the fate of an exceedingly valuable resource. I don’t suggest that the overall community is not important but it is curious that the issue has landed so suddenly in the papers simultaneously with emails to members.
The Op-Ed further makes clear that the NCY leadership elected to retain outside consultants to opine on what they think the best use of the space would be to the community long before asking the affected constituents. That exercise obviously had value and was not an unreasonable thing to do, but who knows what bias that entity brought to the table or even how much that entity truly knows about all of the current users of the Valles pool and how important the aquatic programs are to the youth of New Canaan and to adult members that utilize the pools as their main, or even sole, source of activity at the NCY.
At its core, the Op-Ed and the questionnaire it solicits appear to be premised on the desire to have the community tell the board what they want more of at the direct expense of a preexisting pool and the aquatic community that will be left with far less. The Op-Ed and questionnaire suggest alternative uses such as an expanded fitness center, an auxiliary gym, a family center, and other uses. Many of those uses are simply potential extensions of what the NCY already offers to the complete diminution of the aquatic community writ large. It is taking something away (that can never be brought back) from one group to give something more to another group. I highly suspect that many users of the NCY pools will find that their needs, which perhaps for many, such a myself, are solely for a pool, will be unmet with just one pool and those individuals will need to leave the NCY for somewhere more understanding.
Moreover, several of the proposed alternative uses seem to suggest that the NCY wishes to start replicating itself as an Equinox, Crunch, Planet Fitness, etc. Is that what the community really wants? That seems to be losing the mission statement of the NCY. But perhaps the most laughable other use is a “new aquatic learning and training center” that has “smaller pools.” Beyond not understanding what smaller pools actually means, the utility of smaller pools will likely not stand the test of time and, in any event, the uses of these smaller pools should easily be addressable with the Valles and the Forese pools.
As potential justification for its consideration process, the Op-Ed notes that the Valles pool is underutilized at certain points of the day. This is no doubt likely true of every inch of the NCY facility. There will be ebbs and flows. But citing declining participation when, for example, the NCY decided to eliminate access of the pools to Aquianas, the highly successful and nationally recognized artistic swimming program, thereby creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of decreased use. Additionally, I have personally experienced many occasions when I would have preferred to swim in Valles but could not because there were not enough lifeguards to keep both pools open. The NCY’s inability to provide adequate staffing is not a reason to support an argument of why there may be less use.
Moreover, if the NCY is considering costs, how much will it cost to convert the Valles space to an alternative use? As the Op-Ed makes no suggestion that the Valles pool itself is in need of major work, and it is only the structure around it that needs to be addressed, one would likely be correct in assuming the work to modify the space would be far more expensive than keeping Valles operational after the repair work is completed.
I have little doubt that doing away with the Valles pool will, in short order, be deemed to be one of the worst and regrettable decisions the NCY and its board of directors could make. The decision will be irreversible down the road, will cause untold havoc and loss to highly successful aquatics programs, and to the older and disabled members who rely on the pool as their main source of activity at the NCY. Swimming has many valuable attributes for healthy living and today’s 40 something (as an example) who wants more time for X may very much wish in 10 or 20 years that they had more pool time.
The NCY Board of Directors should be laser focused on determining how to keep the Valles pool open for all future generations and, if a fundraising effort is required to perform the necessary work, then let’s figure out how to get on with that.
Thank you for your consideration of these thoughts. I have no doubts that others have additional points and concerns, just as there are others who will have completely opposite conclusions and interests. But anyone responding to the questionnaire should consider the pros and cons of what is achieved by potentially eliminating one of the best pools in the area, and one that offers unique attributes that cannot be found locally.
Pools are expensive to maintain and operate, particularly with lifeguards and other staffing requirements, so I get why the Y is trying to argue for this decision to adjust their facility mix. But the reality is that I almost never see anyone waiting for exercise equipment at the Y; however, even during the non-peak times I swim often see people waiting for a pool lane. There are plenty of other options in New Canaan for exercise equipment and classes, but there are no other indoor pools. Hopefully, the survey is actually being used to gauge the priorities of the members and not for the appearance of justifying a decision that has already been made
I want to thank Mr. Dehmel for this thorough and well-reasoned argument for why the Valles pool matters. I’ve been swimming in it for close to 40 years now. Pilates and pickleball are fads and will disappear someday. But swimming is forever. Just fix the roof. Keep the pool.
It seems clear the Y has already made the decision to close the Valles Pool. One letter writer had it right about the survey”justifying a decision that has already been made”. Two key phrases in the Y oped were–one, The Valles Pook sits underutilized for much of the day. The other is the one that is NOT there. Upon repairs to the roof the pool will reopen and the prior activities will begin again.
One thing not mentioned in their oped , but the KEY issue is that the Y Board can always say ” our decision is based on ensuring the long term financial viability of the Y”. Neither the High school nor the Town have any direct control of that position. They Y will say that the High School swim teams and related activities are the sole responsibility of the Board of Ed .
I was a member of the Y swim parents Board from 1991 t0 1998, serving as President for 2 years. In addition from 1996 to 2002 I was Chairman of Waveny, now Benko, Pool Committee to get the Pool built. Lastly I was a member of Parks and Rec for 9 years, the last 3 as Chairman. Over all that time I have believed the inherent structure of competitive swimming in New Canaan is unstable. Accommodations were made that lasted a long time, but they were always vulnerable to an outside shock. The pool roof is that shock.
It would be my opinion that the First Selectman should establish a group to evaluate the interrelated interests of the Y, the Board of Ed and the Town, unless assured by the Y that the current structure will reemerge. I do not know her, having moved to Savannah 12 years ago, but is she a person who enjoys solving big problems or looks for excuses for inaction. But she is the kay. Benko Pool would not have been built without the strong financial and political support of Dick Bond.
. Those who care about swiming in New Canaan need to start now to solve this problem.
I’ll say this, having attended many New Canaanite coffees over the past several years, I have never once heard a round of applause, let alone a rousing round of applause, let alone multiple rousing rounds of applause for someone’s comment in the room. But this is exactly what one heard as people voiced their opposition to removing the Valles Pool. I’ve never seen the entire town agree on anything more strongly than keeping the pool and doing whatever it takes to get it fixed and ready for another several decades of use. Outside consultants are one thing, but “Inside Consultants” (I.e. the community) are the real deal, and their/our message is pretty clear : Do NOT get rid of the Valles Pool.
and please welcome back the New Canaan Aquianas! this season our athletes drove to Wilton Y, Italian Center, Chelsea piers And SUNY Purchase… a different pool every day of the week. Still managed to win Bronze at Nationals! please have us back.🙏
Agree! Since 1981 the artistic and Nationally-ranked New Canaan Aquianas swim team was based in the New Canaan Y. Then the team learned that the Y would no longer host them. They deserve to have a home base.
My daughter was with the Aquianas and it was a great experience. She learned team building, underwater endurance and above all camaraderie. She even made it to Junior Olympics one year. It’s a shame that the Aquianas were pushed out of the Y and then the pool is listed as underutilized. Bring them back.
The view that has been expressed by Margaret, the director of the Y is that competitive athletics are not part of the Y mission, which explains the series of bad decisions made since she replaced Craig Panzano, who was a supporter of aquatics and the Y competitive teams. This is purely a local problem, as other regional and national Y’s have thriving teams and aquatics programs from youth to masters levels and are thriving.
To me this means one obvious solution, we need to replace the Director, save the pool, and actively support the competitive swim, dive, synchro teams to get them back to the solid programs they were just a few short years ago.
My family has had tremendous experiences at this Y from daycare, youth activities like bouncing bears, summer camps as participants and later as counselors, Y guides and princesses before that was disbanded, and of course many years on Caimans swim team and high school swimming there. My wife and invested in these programs with countless volunteer hours, and financial support. I am appalled at the situation we are now faced with.
Nick,
According to the Y’s website, Craig Panzano served as Executive Director from 2004-2021:
https://newcanaanymca.org/new-canaan-ymca-announces-margaret-riley-as-next-executive-director
Like many New Canaanite subscribers, I enjoy reading comments. For this case, perhaps the Y’s leadership should hold a public meeting to openly discuss this issue. Surveys are one thing, but an open forum might be helpful.
It would be fantastic were the Y to hold an open forum to discuss the issue, but to date they have kept close control over who can attend meetings and what information they disclose. Indeed, certain board members did not even know about the discussions to demolish the Valles pool until public outcry was raised following a member-organized meeting to discuss a rumor on May 20.
Forty five years ago we moved to New Canaan with two young babes. Our 4 year old son needed open heart surgery that year. Thank God he had wonderful surgeons in Boston but still needed annual check ups. At the age of 6 Brendan took swim lessons at the Y and by 7 he made the Ys age group swim team. When he reached high school he competed on the high school swim team. Brendan’s last checkup was his Junior year when the doctors proclaimed his heart close to perfect. They gave credit to his swimming as a big part of healing. I know this is a personal story but I am sure there are hundreds like it where mental and physical healing was in great part due to swimming at our Y. Our daughter, Caragh, became an All American swimmer on the New Canaan’ high school swim team.
Both went on to be record holders at a Division 1 college. Many of our swimming and diving athletes have been given college scholarships which are so important in our young people’s lives. It is also a shame that we have lost our nationally ranked Aquianas swim.team.
. The loss of the Valles pool will have a profound negative effect on the health and happiness of our community.
I have been a member of the Y for almost 20 years, am a current master’s swimmer and have two children whose success as Caiman’s allowed them to become Division 1 swimmers at excellent universities. I also was a meaningful donor to the major renovation 10 years ago specifically to support the improvements to the aquatics facilities.
I am so disheartened by the extent of disinformation contained in that Op-Ed and her continued refusal to be transparent and engage Y members appropriately.
1. She notes repairing the roof will cost millions of dollars, but does not quantify that nor acknowledge that repurposing the space will likely cost 5+ times more than repairing the roof. If the Y leadership thinks they will be able to fundraise to cover the costs, they are severely underestimating the backlash of demolishing the pool, which will shrink their donor base. Even if they fundraise a portion of the cost, they will be required to take on substantial debt, which the Y cannot handle and ultimately will result in significant increases in dues for members.
2. The pool does not need to close at the end of the year. The engineering report she cites is 3 years old – why suddenly does it need to close now? And there are civil engineers who believe the roof repairs could be done in sections and not have the pool close at all – civil engineers who volunteered to be part of a committee to try and solve the problem at hand, who were not-so-politely turned down.
3. The proposed aquatics center she mentions is also misleading. The proposed “smaller pools” would use resistance current, the equivalent of swimming on a treadmill in a pool slightly larger than a home hot tub. These would likely never get used by the current swimming community the NC YMCA serves.
4. The amount of people who would be displaced is enormous. Four dive teams representing 100+ people – New Canaan High School, Darien High School, Whirlwind Diving and Sacred Heart Diving – none of whom will have a viable alternative. The Caimans swim team would be less competitive with limited pool time likely causing many to leave. New Canaan High School swim team, the masters team, recreational swimmers, lap swimmers and camp swimmers – all significantly impacted.
5. While the public outcry has forced Margaret to arrange some small meetings between select members and the board, she still refuses to have an open meeting for all with all the board members and have it at a time when working people and parents can attend.
There is so much to lose. I can’t understand how this is being allowed to continue this way, it is shameful.
I am a daily early morning (5:30 am) lap swimmer at the Y. While we are not organized group, we lap swimmers are a community of like minded individuals who rely on swimming to stay, not just in physical shape, but also to maintain our mental health and social connections. What is the point of replacing the pool under the guise of addressing the mental health of the community when the pool itself provides an outlet for exercise for people of all ages and all skill levels. Exercise is one of the best ways to ward off depression and improve body positivity for children and teens. Cutting back on pool access will negatively impact so many of us in the community across all age groups. I urge all Y board members to listen to your members and work to save the Valles pool.
Thank you, Diane! I couldn’t agree more. There is so much discussion about mental health, and for me, swimming has been an essential part of maintaining both my physical and mental well-being. I have been swimming at 5:30 a.m. every day since the Forese Pool opened 10 years ago, and it has been the perfect way to stay fit, manage stress, and start each day feeling strong and focused.
There is not much to add beyond what has already been shared here, but there are a few things that are striking to me –
1. One of the purported reasons for closing the pool is to prioritize non competitive activities over our successful swimming & diving programs (Aquianas having already been unceremoniously booted from the pool). The terrible irony is that the plan to use Forese to support Caimans post Valles closure would necessarily squeeze the non competitive aquatic facility users out – many of them elderly, disabled, or otherwise unable to participate in on land exercise. There would not be room for open lap swimming during the non work hours when the team is practicing, and many would simply be displaced with nowhere to go.
2. Greenwich is currently building a $60M pool similar to what we have in Valles. This is the value of an asset we in NC are fortunate to already possess, yet the Y doesn’t seem to consider that value when contemplating a (allegedly) $2-3M fix. What is the information that NCY has that suggests the value of Valles is not even worth the relatively small amount required to fix the pool?
3. This point has been made, but the cost to repurpose the facility is multiples of that to repair the pool structure. The survey and related letter are dishonest in their framing of only one set of costs, and the YMCA has not put forward its plans for how to finance its preferred repurposing plan.
There truly is so much to say about this issue, but I will leave it at this. It is shocking that YMCA leadership cared so little about member input into this decision that it was literally billed as a “final step” to conduct a survey into facility use. If not the members who pay fees and use the facility, who exactly do these leaders think they serve?
When you hear ‘YMCA, you can’t help but think of The Village People, quickly followed by fond associations of a family-friendly community indoor sports facility centered around swimming, gyms, exercise equipment, and programs where people of all ages and abilities come together. And swimming is always at the center of that association. It’s where your kids learn to swim, where competitive swimming and diving happens, where bleary-eyed professionals grab a quick and intensive workout before a long day at the office, where committed (and let’s be honest, slightly intimidating) master swimmers keep pushing themselves, where people with aches and pains from decades of life benefit from low-impact water workouts, where folks with special needs benefit from aqua therapy. People love their Y’s, and New Canaan loves our Y. So I was completely shocked to hear that the current board was actually considering demolishing its main competitive swim and dive pool, cutting its pool capacity in half, and eliminating any diving options, in favor of a series of rather undefined and ambiguous expanded “dry land offerings.” What the heck? The Y is where our ridiculously successful NCHS swim and dive program resides (it’s why we didn’t build a pool when the high school was constructed, as the town already had a great facility at the Y). Just 10 years ago, the Y expanded its aquatic offerings with a major capital program, but now it is considering demolishing the main Valles Pool? It didn’t make sense when I first heard about it, and it still doesn’t make sense to me. Sure, the roof needs work, but every 57-year-old building needs to repair its roof; that’s just maintenance. I am baffled that the current board would want its legacy to be that they were the group that demolished this pool. If we lose this facility, it will be gone forever. Please let the Y know your thoughts and complete their member survey, https://newcanaanymca.org/ymca-pool-update-facility-survey/, which was launched just last week but closes on 6/12.
NCY Whirlwind Diving is arguably New Canaan’s most successful sports program if measured by proportion of athletes recruited to college. It is recognized across the north east for excellence. Keep the pool. Fix the roof.
I appreciate the time and care that has gone into evaluating the future of the Valles Pool. I also want to acknowledge Margaret’s thoughtful and well‑constructed letter. Her communication was clear, sincere, and grounded in a genuine desire to serve the community. That said, I feel compelled to express my strong opposition to closing the pool and eliminating our community’s only dedicated competitive aquatics facility. This decision deeply concerns me as someone who swims at the Y every day and sees firsthand how essential this space is to so many members.
Let me be clear: this is not a financial issue.
The roof and structural repairs you cite would be required regardless of what ultimately occupies that building. Any new construction, especially the extensive list of new facilities proposed, would carry equal or greater cost. Presenting the pool repair as an isolated, avoidable expense is misleading. The real question is not cost, but priorities.
And that is where the proposed direction deeply concerns me.
The idea that a single pool can absorb youth swim team, high school swim team, Masters, lap swimmers, lessons, aquatic therapy, recreational swimmers, and displaced divers is simply unrealistic. It is a pipe dream, and anyone who has spent time in the building knows it. The Forese Pool is already heavily scheduled. Compressing every aquatic program into one body of water will inevitably reduce access, degrade the experience, and push families to other towns and other programs.
Competitive swimming and diving are not fringe activities. They are core to the YMCA’s identity. The YMCA has a long history of developing swimmers, teaching water safety, and supporting competitive aquatics. Generations of New Canaan kids have learned discipline, teamwork, and confidence in the Valles Pool. Eliminating the dive well and shrinking competitive swim capacity is not a minor program adjustment. It is a fundamental shift away from what the YMCA has always stood for.
If the Y can justify removing a cornerstone program because it is underutilized during parts of the day, then any program is vulnerable to the same logic. Usage fluctuates. Mission does not.
The letter states that the Valles Pool will need to be closed by the end of this year, and that schedules for a one‑pool system are already being finalized. Asking for community feedback at this stage feels more like validation than genuine consultation.
If the Y truly wants input, then the option of repairing and preserving the Valles Pool must remain a real, viable choice, not a box checked on the way to a predetermined outcome.
I fully support expanding recreational and wellness offerings. But that expansion should not come at the expense of a program that has shaped thousands of young people and anchored the Y’s identity for decades.
The Valles Pool is not just a piece of infrastructure. It is a community asset, a competitive home, and a symbol of the Y’s commitment to aquatics. Once it is gone, it will never be replaced.
I urge the Board to reconsider any plan that eliminates the Valles Pool and to reaffirm the YMCA’s long‑standing commitment to competitive swimming and diving. Growth should not require erasing the very programs that built this community’s trust in the first place.
I am a long-time New Canaan resident, YMCA member and currently serve as the President of the New Canaan YMCA Board of Directors. It has been an honor to serve in this role alongside many other dedicated community volunteers and the YMCA staff, including our CEO, Margaret Riley. Each of these individuals dedicates immense time and energy to our Y with the goal of serving our community and responding to its needs; that’s what we endeavor to do and our mission drives every discussion and decision. In her five years as the leader of our Y, Margaret has demonstrated selfless commitment to our mission and she works tirelessly to promote it. She has my support and the unwavering support of the Board. My hope is that criticisms that are aimed exclusively at Margaret will stop because, in my opinion, they are unfair and misdirected.
With regard to the Valles Pool, I want to be clear that this is a Board decision and, contrary to assertions that are circulating, no decision has been reached. To suggest a decision has been made or is somehow a fait accompli is simply false. As a Board, we are endeavoring to make a responsible decision, one that balances the needs of the many people we serve, including the users of our aquatic facilities, whose voices and opinions we hear, loud and clear. And, to reiterate, I can assure you, no decision has been made. I thank those of you who have respectfully shared your personal opinions and experiences, whether to me personally or to our Board more broadly. Your constructive feedback and input are both heard and appreciated. Thank you.
i’m sorry it’s hard to hear, but you and Margaret have been the lead voices in some unpopular decisions., you’re gonna hear about it.
As a member of the YMCA Board, I wanted to share a brief perspective.
I understand why so many people care deeply about the future of the Valles space. My own son was part of the Whirlwind Dive program, and our family has benefited from the friendships, experiences, and sense of community that programs like these create. If I believed decisions were being made without seeking member input, I would be disappointed too. No decisions have been made, and the Board is actively seeking community input.
Having been involved in these discussions, I can say that this has been a thoughtful process involving Board members, staff, facility experts, and extensive review of both member usage and community needs. Any thought that this is being driven by anyone’s personal agenda is simply not consistent with what I have experienced.
I have worked closely with both Margaret and Chris and have tremendous respect for their dedication to the YMCA and our community. I encourage anyone who cares about this issue to take the survey and share their perspective as part of the process.
The only perspective a Board member should be providing right now is a clear explanation of why the YMCA announced the Valles Pool would close before the community input process even began. It’s now clear there were lengthy discussions and decisions happening behind closed doors, and that is exactly why members are concerned.
Thank you, Richard. Exactly.
Is Craig Panzano …available
Why did the survey close so quickly? The NC Y community should be given a fair opportunity to express their viewpoint and have their voices heard in public. Will the survey results be posted on the NC Y website since the survey has closed? If survey results are on the website, it is sure difficult to locate.
Curious does anyone know how NC Y Board members are appointed to their positions on the Board? Does the current Board represent each of the operating areas of the NC Y (are there any dive or swim parents currently serving on the Board?). Do NC Y members get to vote on their Board members who ostensibly represent them? This “fair” representation seems to be called into question by the comments here and other forums with Board members not representing what seems to be the majority opposition. Stating that the NC Y is a private non-profit, and you can either be a member or if unhappy, don’t be a member, is disingenuous. You do not need to be a “member” to participate in many of the Y programs. Many non-members participate in non-aquatic programs and aquatic programs, including students from other schools who pay the NC Y to train at the facilities, but are not a “member” of the NC Y. Moreover, Whirlwind and Caimans produce many high performing collegiate athletes every year.
Has the NC Y done a cost benefit analysis of each of the proposed uses? What revenue will be lost due to a change to operating structure? What is the ROI of the proposed new uses? Inadequate facilities will drive the remaining swim parents to another program – many exist. Divers will move with Joe and Adam, two of the top dive coaches in the country. I am certain they will find an excellent facility that values their incredible program.
In my viewpoint, this is a leadership and communication issue. The NC Y members should decide if they feel the current CEO and Board represents the majority of their opinions and have communicated these changes in a transparent way for all members, not the select few.