Weehawken pool will have 1 session for non-residents who register after squabble with DEP

The Weehawken Township Pool will be open for one morning session to non-residents who register in advance after a squabble with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, who took issue with the fact that the project was funded with state dollars.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Please be advised that the township pool policy is being modified on an experimental basis. Everyone will still be required to register in advance. The morning session time (9:30am to 12 noon) will now be available to both residents and non-residents,” the registration form says.

“This is the first year the pool has been open, and it has been a learning experience for all involved, particularly in light of the Covid crisis and the need for social distancing and preventing unsafe overcrowding … Our analysis of attendance throughout the month of July indicates that the morning session has the lowest usage.”

The form also notes that restrictions, such as requiring all patrons under 18 to be accompanied by an adult, will be enforced.

Additionally, for the short term, the pool will remain open to residents only for the 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. afternoon sessions.

Back in June, the NJ DEP, through a spokeswoman, said that Weehawken could not have  resident-only pool rules since the project used $4 million in Green Acres funding, as TapInto Hoboken first reported.

“We probably should’ve communicated with the DEP earlier, but the DEP doesn’t really communicate, they send letters,” Mayor Richard Turner told NBC New York in June.

The matter faced scrutiny this summer since Hoboken residents had been looking forward to using the new pool, given that the Mile Square City still doesn’t have one of their own.

Hoboken Council President Mike Russo announced the new development on Twitter this afternoon, thanking Turner for his efforts.

“Thank you Mayor Turner! #Weehawken pool complex will be open to non-residents each day from 9:30am – 12noon. You must also register IN ADVANCE in order to use the pool complex at: https://form.jotform.com/221356183626153 First come, first serve. Attendance limited,” he wrote.

“We told everybody from the beginning that we’d take July and analyze it and see when we could open up. The morning session is the lightest, so we’re going to try it, this is a test case, and we’ll see how it goes,” Turner told HCV over the phone.

He cautioned that there are only 70 parking spaces at the moment, which will change next summer when construction across the street is complete and 180 different spots will be available.

Furthermore, the mayor said the pool will be open until at least Labor Day, with the possibility of opening on the weekends in September, weather pending.