NPCP: A Great Escape From Sizzling Summer Heat

As the mercury hovered around 90 degrees for most of the day Thursday, children and adults alike found much needed relief by diving, sliding and splashing under the scorching sun at the .

Children could be seen splashing water at each other, playing aquatic games, and sliding down the brand new water slide while adults of all ages, suited for the occasion, frequently joined the youngsters losing themselves in the moment. 

The meticulously manicured facility houses two crystal clear Olympic-sized pools equipped with lap lanes, a diving tank with three diving boards that includes a three meter, and the ever-popular “kiddie pool” that connects to the main pool.

“We try to take good care of this place and in my opinion, it looks better than most pools around by far and we try to take pride in it,” said head manager Steve Fowler.

The NPCP offers a wide variety of amenities to its members, including several that are unique to New Providence. The pool’s management staff primarily focuses on promoting swimming and tries to keep one leg up on the competition by being the best at what they do.

“Our primary focus: let’s enjoy the pool, let’s be safe, let’s try to cool off during the hot summer months,” said Fowler.

One unique feature to the New Providence pool is its lap lanes, which are primarily used by adults. But a youngster can occasionally be spotted getting in his or her daily workout, swimming up and down the lanes. The lap lanes are available every hour that the pool is open, which is not the case for local competitors.

One of the more elaborate features the pool offers its members is the brand new spiral water slide that sends riders plunging into the waters of the lower pool.

The NPCP also has competitive swim and dive teams. The dive tank is comprised of three diving boards, including a three meter dive that has been fazed out or in the process of being fazed out by most other pools; however, New Providence is about to upgrade its high dive.

Another feature is the “kiddie pool” that has a slope entry to provide a safe, accessible entry point for kids, seniors, or handicapped members.

“The kiddie pool provides a nice play structure for the kids and has a large mushroom water fountain,” Fowler said. “We have a lot of young children, a lot of young families.”

As the head manager leaned back in his leather office chair, he seemed most excited when he spoke of the pool’s snack bar.

“Our snack bar rivals any snack bar around here. We have an independent contractor to whom we rent out the space to. It’s phenomenal, great food, phenomenal selections and extremely good portions,” raved Fowler.

The amenities that the New Providence pool offers seem endless at times, but the management aims to please its members and provide the community with as much as they can.

The facility also includes a basketball court, shuffle board courts, knock hockey games, books to read, tables to play board games, a shaded picnic area, and plenty of grassy areas to lie out and catch some rays.

The pool community held its first pre-teen and teen dance last week. The dance, which is supervised by adults, is open to members between the ages of 10 and 15. Other events held throughout the season include candy hunts, coin tosses into the pool, big splash contests, and story time.

After several years of declining memberships, the NPCP has been extremely fortunate in recent years with a steady increase in memberships.

“We have around 5,000 total members right now,” said Fowler. “People tell us that we have the best pool around and they are happy they found it.”

The head manager was extremely proud to boast about the longevity of his members and their association with the pool.

“A whole lot of people have been here for decades. This is our 50^th year and we have people who have been here 50 years,” said Fowler.

To join the NPCP, one does not need to live in town, but there is a higher membership fee for non-residents. The resident family rate for 2011 is $495, while the non-resident rate is $595. However, first time members are required to pay a capital contribution of $335 in addition to the membership fee their first year.

“The capital contribution is earmarked specifically for capital improvements,” Fowler said. “Recently, we resurfaced the lower pool and we are going to be resurfacing the upper pool, which is 40 years old and outlived its time."

While NPCP does not offer any kind of daily rate for non-members, members are permitted to bring guests. But guests are required to pay an $8 fee and must be accompanied by a member at all times while on the grounds.

As one may guess, running and maintaining an aquatic facility is an extremely expensive proposition.

“Maintenance is very expensive. It is a ridiculously expensive facility,” said Fowler.

The high costs for specialized equipment used to maintain the pool and the chemical system used to sanitize it put the greatest toll on the maintenance budget. The pool does employ a four-person maintenance crew, but they primarily take care of smaller projects. The pool contracts out the landscaping duties to a private company along with the painstaking task of opening and closing the pool each season.

“Although I don’t have the exact figures in front of me, the cost for maintenance is in the six figures,” Fowler said.

The NPCP is completely funded by membership fees and guest fees. It does not receive any money from the borough or grants of any type to help run the facility.

Fowler said daily crowds seem to fluctuate throughout the season, but the pool is generally busier on the weekends. When attending the pool, most people usually spend a couple hours poolside, basking in the sun, or bathing in the sparkling water under the watchful eye of certified lifeguards.

“We usually have a good enough crowd where you won’t be bored being in the pool by yourself," Fowler said. "But at the same time, it’s not so large [that] it's unmanageable."