Most of the 100 nonresident passes for Waveny Pool this summer will be sold to Darien families, parks officials said.
Faced with a potential shortfall in revenue to keep the self-sustaining facility in the black, officials opted to sell family passes at $1,000 each to out-of-towners for this season (New Canaan families pay $475).
Park and Recreation Commissioner Matt Konspore at the May 14 meeting of the group, at Lapham Community Center. Credit: Michael Dinan
Park and Recreation Commission member Matt Konspore at Wednesday’s regular monthly meeting for the group raised the question of just where nonresident permit applicants are coming from—some 250 signed up for a waiting list and 100 were selected by lottery.
“I’d be curious on the lottery winners how many are from Darien?” Konspore said during the meeting, held at Lapham Community Center.
Answer: The majority.
Konspore also asked whether it might be possible down the road to create a relationship with Darien where the shoreline town opened up its beaches to New Canaanites.
“Reciprocity would be a wonderful thing, even though their beaches are closed a lot,” Recreation Department Office Manager Bea Watkins said.
Waveny Pool on Wednesday, May 14—the water is clear and parks officials are working hard to get it ready for its Memorial Day weekend opening. Credit: Michael Dinan
Meanwhile, Recreation Director Steve Benko said he and department staffers are working diligently to get the pool ready for its Memorial Day weekend opening—no easy task with the late spring.
“It’s just been a cold spring. For the first time in 13 years, we had a hard time getting the water to clear up,” Benko said, adding that it’s been a matter of water temperature and that the water is now clear.
Last year, New Canaan sold about 720 resident passes for the pool, and an additional 100 to nonresidents (to make sure there was enough money for capital and operating costs there).
As of Wednesday, the town would need to sell an additional 300-plus passes to get to last year’s levels, which parks commissioners said likely would come in as the warmer weather sustains and residents start thinking more about outdoor swimming.
If there are 250 people willing to pay $1,000 each for a pass, why not sell to all?
Covet Your Pool! In Greenwich we just ok’d $200k for a study of our pool which needs a re-do.
I was for non residents getting pool passes before but now I’m not so sure. I mean D[arien]-Bags, in our pool?
Reading your article seems to me that there is some discrimination going on really Darien only others money is just as good as there
I had been a non resident last season and really enjoyed it but I guess I won’t make it this time around seeing I don’t live in darien
To achieve the best return on non-resident passes, is to simply auction them off to the highest bidder, each year on a specific date and time. Would suggest 2 weeks before opening, as then the demand would be the highest.
Happy to hang-out with non-residents who value our Waveny Pool the most, regardless of their origin and residency – – after all, they are willing to pay true market-value for access (and help fund upkeep) of one of our crown jewels.