Sign this petition if you believe Longfellow Pool should stay open through 8/13/2023 instead of closing early on 7/31/2023 per CA's recent announcement!

Full petition text below:

 

July 24th, 2023

Dan Burns, Columbia Association Vice President, Programs & Services

Marty Oltmanns, Columbia Association Aquatics Director

Columbia Association Aquatics

9450 Gerwig Lane, Columbia, MD 21046

Subject: Complaint Letter Regarding the Early Closure of Longfellow Pool

To Whom It May Concern,

This complaint letter is in response to the July 21st email notification from Columbia Association (CA) Aquatics that Longfellow Pool (LFP), along with three other outdoor pool facilities, will be closing early for the year on July 31st – fourteen calendar days earlier than the originally scheduled August 14th date. Per the attached petition, hundreds of CA residents find the early closure of LFP totally unacceptable. We request immediate reversal of this decision by the CA Aquatics leadership team and their governing organization. Our specific reasons for requesting LFP remain open are enumerated below.

1.       Residents of Longfellow and other nearby neighborhoods pay the same annual fee and/or monthly membership fees to CA as all other residents. We are therefore owed and expect the same level of service and amenities provided to the rest of the Columbia community. Closing LFP violates this covenant and will lead to residents seeking reimbursement of funds paid.

2.       LFP is the only outdoor CA pool that is fully compliant with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Closing the only ADA-compliant outdoor CA pool is not only morally wrong, but also opens up the possibility of legal action to be brought forth against CA.

3.       The LFP Wading Pool has the most features of any outdoor CA pool (seven: beach entry, water jets, water spout, water slide, shade structure, curved perimeter, shallow depth). Closing LFP early would disproportionately affect families with children under the age of seven.

4.       The nearest outdoor CA pool to LFP, Swansfield Pool, is not a viable alternative to LFP, as it is already routinely overcrowded with guests using the mini-waterpark and water slide attractions.

5.       LFP is a popular pool – many others (e.g. Locust Park and Hobbits Glen) have less daily patrons. If any outdoor pools need to close early, minimizing community impact should be considered.

The announcement of early LFP closure is unfortunately the latest in a long line of annual cutbacks that have recently eroded what many consider Columbia’s greatest amenity – the 23 outdoor pools. We believe all neighborhood pools should remain open through Labor Day Weekend. We also understand that CA must cope with difficult financial realities. Several of our petitioners are professionals with significant financial experience across several industries and would happily help CA Aquatics brainstorm better cost-saving measures than closing LFP.

I have written this complaint as a lifelong CA resident and former CA lifeguard and swim coach who truly cares about Columbia and its outdoor pools. Thank you for your time and swift attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

LFP Petitioners