Suffolk County College's Community Pool Now Taking Memberships

RIVERHEAD, NY — After years of anticipation, the community is now able to enroll in annual memberships for a long-awaited pool at the Northampton campus of Suffolk County Community College.

The competitive-size pool, located on Speonk-Riverhead Road, is now open to the public daily, with hours that extend into the evenings and weekends, according to SCCC.

"Our health club strives to make our community healthier by giving everyone the opportunity to incorporate fitness into their daily routine," an information page about the health club said. "We want our members to relax, get in shape, and have fun in a clean and safe environment. Our staff is dedicated to helping you reach and exceed your fitness goals."

Yearly membership includes access to the 25-year, multi-lane pool; free weights; a full fitness suite; a rock climbing wall and locker rooms and showers.

A ribbon cutting was held in May for Suffolk County Community College's Eastern Campus Health & Wellness Center, located at 121 Speonk-Riverhead Rd. The nearly $22 million, 40,000 square foot building also features an 11,500 square foot gymnasium, 6 backboards, a divider, an indoor track and striping for basketball, volleyball and badminton. A climbing wall has eight stations each equipped with a belay bar.

The facility’s pool, the first public pool available to East End residents, is eight lanes, 25 yards and built for sanctioned competitive swimming and diving; it is equipped with bleachers for spectators, an interactive scoreboard and sound system, LED lighting and is ADA accessible, SCCC said.

There are two classrooms separated by a folding partition and a more than 2,200 square foot weight room with treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals, nautilus equipment and free weights. The new complex will complete the 192-acre eastern campus near downtown Riverhead. The campus has never had indoor facilities for physical education.

“The new facility promotes a critically important health and fitness focus for the students and the community at large,” said Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming. “Not only is this an investment in community health, but it also allows a valuable opportunity for residents to develop a safe relationship with water, and can serve as a training resource for first responders such as fire departments or the 106th Rescue Wing.”

“The community pool is a long realized project that I started when I was a Suffolk County legislator,” said Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman. “This gives our residents a chance to develop healthy fitness habits closer to home and make new friends within the community they live.”

Southampton Town board members agreed that the facility is a dream realized for East End residents who have long had to travel for miles to access a pool.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for members of our community to join a fitness facility, complete with a pool, that is within driving distance and one that is affordable for families and seniors,” said Southampton Town Councilman John Bouvier.

The total cost of construction, just under $22 million, resulted from many years of effort by numerous partners including New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, New York State Senator Ken LaValle, Schneiderman, the SCCC board, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, and the Suffolk County Legislature, Fleming said.

Fleming said she is particularly proud of final efforts, including the passage of a bond resolution in 2016, authorizing an additional $2,575,000 which passed by certificate of necessity and was signed by Bellone on the very last day New York State would be able to appropriate the additional funding.

“The community pool at the eastern campus of Suffolk Community College has been a valuable addition for students at the college," Thiele said. "It was always understood that the general public would also benefit from this new facility. I am pleased to see memberships for the community are now available to help meet their health, fitness and recreational needs.”

Membership fees are as follow:

· Adult Suffolk County resident $275/12 months

· Child Suffolk County resident, up to grade 12 $220/12 months

· Family Membership $720/12 months

(Including head of household, spouse, dependents under 18 years, 23 if enrolled as full time student)

· Senior 60 and over $220/12 months

· Non-resident fee $340/12 months

· Non-resident senior $340/12 months

For more information, click here.