Hinsdale May Open Pool Earlier This Year

HINSDALE, IL – The head of the Hinsdale Swim Club asked the village Tuesday to open the municipal pool nearly three weeks earlier this year.

At Tuesday's Village Board meeting, the 350-member club's president, Sarah Chase, said her group needed the pool to open May 6.

That's because Hinsdale Central High School is closing its pool around then because it is redoing the pool deck.

In 2021, the school opened its new pool, but the deck has been a source of problems. The contractors are expected to cover the costs.

During the summer, the swim club uses Hinsdale's municipal pool, which opens Memorial Day weekend.

In making the request, Chase said her group would pay for any additional costs related to the early opening.

The club, she said, gave the village $23,500 to help with opening the pool during the pandemic in 2020. It also paid a $5,000 swim meet rental fee for an event that was canceled because of pandemic regulations, she said.

"We would like to think our contribution gave the community some semblance of a normal summer by having a pool in which to swim," Chase said.

Village President Tom Cauley said he doubted anyone in the village would oppose an early opening if it were doable.

Village Manager Kathleen Gargano asked Chase to meet with village staff about the proposal.

"Obviously, we made this work in 2020," Gargano said. "The key issue revolves around the staff. It's the same issue we dealt with before."