Ocean County College Pool Will Close Permanently On Aug. 14

The Ocean County College pool - home to swim teams and alumni over decades - will close permanently on Aug. 14, if not sooner.

The announcement was made in a recent letter to the ”Campus Community” on the OCC website.

“Unfortunately, the College is not in a position to commit the necessary resources for its continued operation and the decision has been made to permanently close the pool effective August 14, 2015,” according to a statement signed by Norma Betz, Vice President of Student Affairs and Ilene Cohen, Executive Director of Athletics.

Many renovations have been made to instructional areas in the Health and Human Performance Center since it opened in 1967. But pool upgrades are cost-prohibitive.

The pool filters are over 22 years old and replacement parts are hard to come by or nor longer available. The time clock system is obsolete and it would cost too much to replace, according to the statement.

“Most troubling is the fact that the pool is not handicapped accessible, and due to the age of the building, it is not possible to make the necessary renovations, Betz and Cohen said in the statement.

“Unfortunately, the College is not in a position to commit the necessary resources for its continued operation and the decision has been made to permanently close the pool effective August 14, 2015,” the two said. “If during this time frame there is a major breakdown it is possible that the closing may occur sooner.”

College officials are investigating ”alternate solutions” so students and the community can have somewhere to go. More details will be released when the become available, school officials said.