Nonprofit group seeks to reopen pool in Wantage

Wantage — A nonprofit group created by the parents of swimmers in the Wantage-Sussex area is seeking to re-open the pool complex located on Pepperidge Road in Wantage. The group, called the Wantage Sussex Porpoises Parents Association, has faced challenges in keeping the pool open since they acquired it in 2009. Just recently, the group has taken some important steps they hope will help them open their doors.

Tax tangle One of the larger issues, and the one most pressing to parents group representative Scot Sorensen, is the amount of back taxes owed on the property. They're in the ballpark of $29,000. Since the group took control of the pool, this figure has ballooned from the much more manageable sum of $7,000. Much of the new total is made up of interest and penalties, stemming from when the group could not pay because the pool was not generating any income.

The pool closed on Labor Day 2010 because it needed a new chlorination system. The group did not have the money to purchase one. The pool complex remained closed for all of 2011.

Now, Sorensen and the Porpoises Parents Association are taking the steps necessary to get the pool back into shape and open it to the public. At the Feb. 23 Wantage Township Council meeting, Sorensen approached the board and explained the situation. He asked for leniency on the taxes owned, but not on the entire sum. Sorensen is looking for the board to forgive $15,000 — or just over half of the tax money owned.

“I’m hoping that the town can meet us in the middle so we can get this ball rolling,” Sorensen said, after outlining his plan for restoration. “We’d like to cut the town a check and give money that is owed.”

Board members were receptive to Sorensen’s idea. Speaking about the pool, Wantage Mayor Bill Gaechter said, “I think it’s an asset to Wantage Township.” The board requested a copy of the deed and of the association's business plan and put off a decision until these documents could be reviewed.

An anonymous donor The real break for the group came when an anonymous donor came to their aid. Sorensen describes the donor as a “concerned Wantage resident who knows how important it is for the kids to have someplace to go.”

The money from the donor is enough to get the proper chlorination systems in place. If the township does decide to offer help to the group, the money would also buy a filtration system that would slash the electricity bill and significantly lower the pool’s operating costs.

A public asset The pool is home to the Wantage-Sussex Porpoises, a swim team of over 130 kids who compete in the Wallkill Valley Swim Conference. They have been without a “home base” for the past year, and Sorensen is anxious to be able to give it back to them. A swimmer himself, Sorensen competed in the very same conference when he was younger. All of his children are swimmers; “Or they will be,” he laughs.

But Sorensen also wants to provide a place for all residents to enjoy. He’s got plans for all kinds of upgrades and repairs. His goal is to create a space where families can go and spend quality time together. With gas prices rising, Sorensen wants a place close to home where people can take some time off. “We’ve got barbecue grills like they have at the state parks,” he says.

“I’d like people to come and stay all day.”

When the pool operates, it offers a variety of activities: swim lessons, teen nights, mommy-and-me swimming and even water aerobics. For information and membership, contact the WSPPA at 973-222-8514 or e-mail them at swporpoisespa@gmail.com.