Pool Finances Questioned In Cranford

CRANFORD, NJ — Questions about the financial future of Cranford’s municipal pools resurfaced as the township moves ahead with major renovations at Orange Avenue Pool ahead of the summer season.

At a recent Township Committee meeting, Mayor Kathleen Miller Prunty announced the township secured $875,000 in grant funding for the project, including $750,000 from the state and $125,000 from the Union County Kids Recreational Fund.

Township officials said the revitalized pool complex includes upgraded locker rooms and bathrooms, improved lighting, repaired and refinished pool areas, expanded seating with new shade structures, a renovated baby pool, resurfaced pickleball, tennis and basketball courts, a repaired picnic pavilion, landscaping and drainage improvements, a repaved parking lot, and several ADA-accessible upgrades including wider walkways, accessible showers and restrooms, handicapped parking, and a new pool lift. Officials also said rubberized mulch was added around the existing splash pad area.

Miller Prunty noted the grant money is restricted to capital improvements and cannot be used for staffing or other operating expenses, bringing renewed attention to the long-running debate surrounding the cost of maintaining township pools.

That discussion resurfaced during public comment, where resident Ray Richards questioned whether the township can continue supporting pool operations amid ongoing financial losses.

“How do you lose money on pools year after year and still do it?” Richards said. “Who in business does that? I can’t imagine any responsible person doing that.”

Richards argued the township should reconsider the long-term future of Centennial Avenue Pool and suggested alternative uses for the property, including a potential indoor ice rink.

“If you put up a nice big cheap metal building… you can put in a real ice rink for $500,000,” Richards said. “You could make a fortune on this, but I’d hate to see this go to waste again.”

Centennial Avenue Pool is closed for the 2026 summer season, with the Cranford Swim Pool Utility operating only Orange Avenue Pool this summer.

Miller Prunty acknowledged the financial challenges surrounding the pools have been discussed for years.

“It had been discussed for many years, as long as I’ve been on the township committee,” she said. “It just reached the point of being financially impossible.”

She added that the township has increasingly relied on outside grant funding to support repairs and improvements at Orange Avenue Pool.

The issue has also become part of the broader local political conversation. Township Committee candidate Will Thilly used public comment to outline his position on the matter, saying, “I will keep both Centennial and Orange Avenue pools open and free.”

Officials also shared updated membership figures, reporting 963 memberships sold so far, with roughly two-thirds belonging to Cranford residents. Township officials said the numbers are in line with 2024 totals, though below last year’s membership levels, which they described as unusually high.