Mayor Hopkins sets public meeting on Cranston Budlong Pool, releases report repairs not possible.

“I visited Budlong Pool, as large as two Olympic pools put together, some years after moving to Cranston from Newport. I had finally come to understand that swimming laps in the ocean would be harder and possibly less healthy here, and I have never liked the gym. I assumed I would develop a relationship with the pool, but the next summer, it was closed due to the pandemic,” said Ruth S. Taylor of Rhode Island Current.

Taylor went on, “It is no surprise that a structure like this — huge and filled with water — would require some significant maintenance after being opened 83 years ago. So when it was announced that the pool would not reopen, as it required millions of dollars to address delayed maintenance, it seemed that this disappointed, but did not shock the community.” 

Budlong Pool in Cranston, as large as two Olympic pools put together, has been closed since the pandemic. It open to the public in 1940, built as a WPA project. The pool is 232 feet X 75 feet and takes 1 million gallons to fill. Taylor says, “these pools were built all over the country and were great democratizers. Almost everyone in a neighborhood used their local pool, and many American children learned to swim and be comfortable in the water, there.  Like public schools, they were a place where immigrants mixed with native born, and ethnicities commingled. After World War II, the American population became wealthier, more suburban, and more focused on the individual family.”

Mayor sets Public Meeting – September 6th

Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins has announced that a public meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 6, 2023 to share the findings of a report on the state of disrepair and condition of the Budlong Pool.  The meeting will be held in the Cranston High School East auditorium and begin at 6:00pm.

“As my administration promised, we will hold a public briefing for the members of the public and City Council on why the substantial physical and operational problems and the quick fix band aid approaches of the past are no longer a realistic or proper alternative to re-open the Budlong Pool.”

Hopkins said that representatives of Saccoccio & Associates, a leading Cranston architectural firm and Weston & Sampson, of Boston, MA, a national leader in aquatic design and engineering, will attend and brief attendees. See full report *** bottom of this page.

“In order to keep the residents and City Council continually informed, we are sharing the findings that cry out for the replacement of the existing pool as a prudent investment of tax dollars and make a compelling argument from a safety and operational basis.”  He said, “The depression era-built pool’s day has long passed.”

Hopkins said, “In March, I said standing at the pool side, that no public structure lasts forever and today this facility is in need of a major overhaul and not just another band aid approach where we just spend good money after bad for limited short-term use.”  He continued, “I remain more convinced than ever that we are way beyond those who suggest we are in the last days of saving the existing Budlong Pool.”

The mayor noted that he has listened to many people in formulating actionable plans for the next generation of the Budlong Pool.  “Sadly, some partisan activists and elected officials have not wanted to take the time to understand the complexities of restoring this facility to make sure it lasts for many more decades while doing it in a way that is a prudent investment for the future.”

“As the mayor of this city, I do not have the luxury of quick fix gimmicks so I can take a photo-op of me jumping in the pool. I need to take responsible actions for the residents and taxpayers of our city,” said Hopkins. 

“For those who want to listen to qualified experts and understand the real facts on structural problems, legal compliance, and the programmatic and operational challenges we face with the outdated facility, they will better understand my position and plans for the future of the pool.”

“Elected officials who think that filling the pool and turning on ancient filtration equipment is the way to go, I strongly disagree. Just as we need to construct new schools to replace obsolete and unsafe buildings, we need a new operationally efficient pool to replace an 80+ year old structure that cannot be repaired to last generations.” stated Hopkins.

Mayor Hopkins says that at the meeting, the conceptual plans of what the new and safer facility will look like will be shared with the public. 

Hopkins said with the funding in place to build a modern and safe pool, the city will shortly be seeking construction bids for a contractor to modernize the pool house and build a pool for the next fifty-plus years to serve Cranston residents.

The mayor said that he wanted to wait on the scheduling of the meeting until after Labor Day so that interested residents could enjoy the end of their summer plans and vacations. 

“I want to, again, thank the vast majority of residents of Cranston for their patience and understanding in the challenges we faced in bringing forward a new and better Budlong Pool.” 

He concluded, “I look forward to joining all Cranston residents in the enjoyment of a new, safe and modern Budlong pool complex.”

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Budlong Plan going forward:

A new pool design is being drafted to accommodate approximately 500 people of all ages. Cranston Parks & Recs reports that no more than 300 to 350 people used the old pool at one time in recent years when it was open.  It is planned to be approx. 7,100 sq ft in size. It will provide for a beach-style entry to be ADA accessible and for small children.  It will have all the bells and whistles including swimming lanes and will likely have a depth of 6’ to 6.5’ feet. The mayor listened to the residents and will build a new right-sized pool that will be efficient to operate and staff – especially given the shortage of lifeguards.  

Cost will be determined when the RFP goes out in the late fall.  The design is targeted to be well within the $4 million approved price limit (including engineering & architect fees).

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Size Matters!

The Warwick Pool – McDermott Pool

Beverly Wiley the Director of Parks and Recreation in Warwick provided information on the double pool at the Warwick recreation center: 

Deep Pool = 82 feet x 39 feet (ranges from 5ft – 10ft deep ) 

Shallow Pool = 82 feet X 39 feet (ranges from 3.5ft – 4.5ft ) 

In addition to the Adult and Open swim times the pool is also used by the swim teams from Hendricken boys, Tollgate, Pilgrim and East Greenwich boys and girls for practices and meets. There are private clubs that rent the pool for practices during the week, and meets 3-4 weekends per year.  We also rent the pool for birthday parties on the weekends.  

During adult and open swim times the average number of patrons using the pool is about 35-40 per session.  

The pool(s) are unique in Warwick, with garage doors all along the building that can be opened in good weather, but which do not allow the pool to be rained or snowed on.

Other pool sizes:

The average house pool ranges between 24 feet by 12 feet – and – 40 feet by 20 feet.

The average public pool is 66 feet long.

Davey Lopes Pool reconstructed to comply with all ADA regs is now sloping from 3 feet to 6 feet deep.

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Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung, State Representative representing District 15 has called upon the city to “pause” its plans, saying in an editorial published yesterday morning by one media outlet, “When making this level of financial investment, we absolutely must get the details right for an entire generation of Cranston’s children. It’s time for a time-out.”

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Cranston Mayor’s response to Rep. Fenton Fung:

“I read with interest the comments and political posturing by Representative Fenton-Fung in her published editorial.

Her call for a “timeout” in the Budlong Pool discussion and renovation plans is perfectly understandable.  [Coming from ] the General Assembly, the representative lives in a culture of study commissions and “holding bills in committee” when people do not want to make tough decisions.

As Mayor, I do not have that same “kick the can down the road” luxury of operating this city.  When faced with an outdated and closed pool when I took office, I made tough choices and determined that the depression era-built pool facility has seen its last days.  I will no longer use quick fix band aid approaches and pass the buck on to future generations in this city.

I must assume her statement in part was to inoculate her husband, as my administration [releases] a compelling and eye-opening report about the condition of the pool. The report by the highly qualified aquatic and pool design firm Weston & Sampson of Boston, MA details severe problems with the present facility. Those issues include lack of compliance with current legal and safety regulations and issues, obvious structural concerns, and the infeasibility of operating a safe and proper pool program with the outdated facility.

Mrs. Fenton-Fung speaks of the previous administration “getting the pool up to snuff” for a photo opportunity. Having participated in many opening days as a coach, we only played when we were ready, and the conditions were optimal from a physical and operational basis.  The days of just filling a leaking pool and hoping arcane filtration equipment will survive another summer have long passed.  

Contrary to her suggestion that we have used a top-down approach on this issue, I have met with and listened to many people in formulating an action plan for the next generation of the Budlong Pool.  There are those in this community who don’t want to really address the issues of the pool but rather want to have an issue to attack me politically.

For those who have taken the time to objectively understand the challenges of restoring this facility and to make sure it lasts for another fifty years, they agree with my approach as a prudent investment of tax dollars and a bright recreational opportunity.”

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