Randallstown, Dundalk Y closures imply no extra low-cost locations to swim

Baltimore County has lengthy lacked low-cost swimming choices. Come summer time, it might have none.

The Y in Central Maryland introduced Wednesday it’ll shut its swim facilities in Dundalk and Randallstown, regardless of the recognition of each swimming pools and a current important public funding in fixing them up.

Baltimore County invested $10 million within the Randallstown heart and $3.26 million within the Dundalk one. The Dundalk pool was closed for 5 years so staff may repair the cracked flooring and reopened solely final summer time.

“Ultimately, we determined that we are at our best when we can deliver to the community the full Y membership experience, and that was not possible at either location,” Dana Ashley, senior vice chairman of operations for the Y in Central Maryland, stated in an electronic mail to members.

Baltimore County doesn’t have a public pool that’s free to residents, whereas town of Baltimore has 16 — a number of of that are newly renovated, because of town spending $41 million in COVID-19 pandemic reduction funds on them. To compensate for the shortage of swimming choices, the Y partnered with the county to make swimming at Dundalk and Randallstown reasonably priced. Randallstown and Dundalk are lower-income communities whose residents sometimes don’t have the means to swim at personal golf equipment.

At Randallstown, public swim instances — simply two per week — price about $20 for a household of 4. About 30% of the Randallstown Y’s members come by means of the Y’s Open Doors Program, which permits them to pay a fraction of the common membership price. That will be as little as $19 a month.

Baltimore County spokesperson Dakarai Turner stated the county is “actively reviewing options for the future of these facilities.” He stated the county hopes one other operator takes them over.

“The Y of Central Maryland has been a great partner for nearly two decades, and we appreciate their work operating the swim centers in Dundalk and Randallstown for their members in order to aid the County in serving the surrounding communities,” he stated.

The amenities will shut Aug. 31, and members will have the ability to go to different Y’s at their present membership price for a yr. Ashley stated the Y will attempt to place its workers in different amenities.

The closures come as civil rights advocates make a renewed push for Black youngsters and younger adults to study to swim and have entry to swimming pools. Black youngsters die of drowning-related accidents at two to three times the charges of white youngsters, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2024.

Randallstown is sort of 80% Black. Dundalk has a rising Hispanic group and has a median earnings of about $64,000, making it one of many poorest components of Baltimore County.

The lack of public swimming pools in Baltimore County dates to segregation, when many public swimming pools nationwide closed moderately than integrating.

In 1953, Baltimore County’s parks and recreation division developed a plan to assemble public swimming pools at elementary faculties, sharing the fee with the schooling division. The county deserted the plan, and no such swimming pools have been constructed, a 1966 report indicated. By then, about 150 personal golf equipment have been operataing within the county.

In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court dominated a metropolis may select to not present a public facility moderately than offering an built-in one. Depriving folks equally didn’t violate the legislation.

The county proudly owning swimming pools that the Y managed was at all times an imperfect resolution for each events. Y managers expressed frustration that they may not make enhancements to the small locker rooms in Randallstown. And the Y has constructed whole amenities within the 5 years it took the county to restore Dundalk’s lone pool.

“My goal is for us, as the county, to run the pool now,” stated Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones, who represents the realm.

Jones, the lone Black council member, is operating for county government. He stated he views the Y’s closures as a possibility to increase the hours and days for public swimming and encourage extra of the group to swim.

“Nothing against the Y, but I’ve always had a problem with them running the pool,” he stated. “How can it be that we can run the police and fire and everything else but the county can’t run a pool?”

Carl Jackson, who’s the primary Black state senator to symbolize Eastern Baltimore County, stated he’s annoyed the swimming pools are closing and not using a plan. Appalled to study the county didn’t have a pool from a Banner story final yr, Jackson labored with the Community College of Baltimore County to open the pool on the Essex campus to households for per week and a half of free swimming.

Jackson is working with the school to increase that this summer time.

Told of Jones’ hopes to maintain the pool open, Jackson stated: “How are you going to do it? Tell me how you’re going to do it. I’m tired of broad statements. I want to know what the plan is to remedy the situation.”