City pools are set to open this weekend, with new rules because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the city will not open the splash pads in the public parks during the summer of 2020.
The pools in New Britain’s Willow Brook Park Pool and A.W. Stanley Park Pool are opening for the summer on Saturday, June 27, 2020. Use of the pools will require pre-registration, for a 12 foot diameter location around the pools.
The fee for, “Each swim spot is $5.00,” the city says, adding that up to two spots can be reserved at a time.
But the city’s two splash pads are to remain closed for the summer, the city says, “for the health and safety of our community.” The city is directing those who would be interested in using the splash pads to, “Visit AW Stanley Pool or Willow Brook Pool for swimming (pre-registration required).”
Some people have expressed unhappiness with the decision online. One person said, “So it’s better to be elbow to elbow with people you don’t know, than to be able to stay six feet apart at a splash pad! How does that make sense?”
Another commented, “because the splash pads are free, the pools are not.”
Others, however, expressed that, “Splash pads are not chlorinated..pools are.”
The two splash pads are located at Willow Street Park at 43 Willow Street in the North-Oak neighborhood and Chesley Park at 35 Wildwood Street in the East Side neighborhood.
While the Willow Street Park Splash Pad is located in the city’s poorest neighborhood, the newly renovated A.W. Stanley Pool is located near one of the city’s better-off areas.
The city says that pre-registration for use of the city’s pools can be done at the city Parks and Recreation website, by calling 860-826-3360 or at City Hall, Room 307.
Up to four people are to be permitted in each reserved spot, but children under 2 are not counted toward that maximum. There is to be a limit of fifty people in each pool facility at a time.
The pools are to be available in two hour time slots, on “Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 9:30am – 11:30am; 2:30pm-4:30pm; and 6:00pm – 8:00pm,” on “Wednesday: 2:30pm -4:30pm; 6:00pm -8:00pm,” and on, “Saturdays and Sundays: 9:30am -11:30am; 12:00pm -2:00pm; 2:30pm -4:30pm; and 6:00pm – 8:00pm.”
The city has published special rules for the pools in 2020. These include that,
- “All patrons must arrive to the facility in swimsuits and shower prior to arriving. Patrons will not be permitted to enter without a bathing suit (even if they are not planning on swimming).”
- “All patrons must be wearing a mask in order to enter the facility and whenever they leave their designated reservation section (with the exception of leaving their section to enter the water).”
- “All reserved sections must have at least one patron over the age of 15 years old in order to gain entry,” and the reservations, themselves, have be made by a person fifteen years old or older
- “Any cancellations must be made prior to your timeslot by calling the Parks and Recreation Department during office hours.”
The city pools are located at Willow Brook Park Pool at 200 Mill Street and A.W. Stanley Park Pool at 2159 Stanley Street.
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