BALDWINSVILLE — For the second summer in a row, the town of Van Buren’s swimming pool will remain closed due to the burden of pandemic safety restrictions.

At the April 7 town board meeting, Councilor Wendy Van Der Water said the parks and recreation committee met the previous week to discuss the Onondaga County Health Department’s current COVID-19 safety guidelines, which have not been updated since June 11, 2020.

“They’re at the mercy of the state whenever the governor decides to amend those guidelines,” said Van Der Water, who is the chair of the parks committee.

The guidelines require swimmers to stay at least 6 feet apart both in and out of the pool.

“How do we do that? How do we control someone being in the pool and distancing 6 feet?” Van Der Water said. “The baby pool is pretty small. You could have maybe four children in there, and how do you tell your 2-year-old not to go play with the little boy next [to you]?”

Van Der Water said if one lifeguard contracts COVID-19, the whole staff could be exposed. The town also lacks the resources for hourly disinfection of surfaces such as handrails, tables, chairs and the bathhouse.

“The committee decided it wasn’t financially in the best interest of the residents to open the pool,” Van Der Water said.

Supervisor Claude Sykes said a maximum of 50 people would be allowed in the pool area at one time.

“At 50, we won’t even be able to pay our lifeguard,” Sykes said.

Van Der Water said many of her neighbors were upset that the pool was closed last year.

“Unfortunately, it’s going to be the same situation, and it’s not our call. We have to follow CDC, OSHA, EPA and Onondaga County Health Department [requirements]. We can’t opt in, we can’t opt out,” she said.

Deputy Supervisor Mary Frances Sabin asked about the possibility of allowing small groups in the pool for a 45-minute time slot. Sykes said even more frequent cleaning would be required and Van Buren would have to raise the price of admission to the pool.

“I hate to see it, but it’s almost got to be that way,” Sykes said.

Sykes added that Parks and Rec Director Cathy Perkins said most of her lifeguards have already sought employment elsewhere for the summer.

While the pool will remain off-limits, there are still opportunities for summer recreation for Van Buren’s children. The summer playground program traditionally run from Van Buren Central Park will not happen this year, but Van Der Water reported that the town will host a five-week summer playground program for 40 to 50 children at McNamara Elementary School. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration will cost $350 per child to cover the increased cost of paying the Baldwinsville Central School District’s janitorial staff to disinfect the building.

Recreation Supervisor Heidi Anders is also hoping to hold half-day, weeklong summer camps for groups of seven to 10 children.

As for pavilion rentals, picnic tables must be 9 feet apart, so the town will allow people to set up tents adjacent to the pavilion. The pavilion rental application includes the same waiver as rental applications for Onondaga County Parks facilities. Town staff will disinfect the pavilions after each gathering, but event hosts are responsible for enforcing social distancing, distributing masks and providing hand sanitizer for their guests.

Registration for pavilion rentals opens April 19 for Van Buren residents and April 26 for non-residents. People can book pavilions for events starting June 1.

Canton Street Bridge update

Supervisor Sykes offered an update on the fate of the deteriorating Canton Street Bridge. Sykes and Town Engineer Jason Hoy met April 7 with Onondaga County Legislator Ken Bush, Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli and New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Matt Driscoll, who provided a report on the options for the bridge.

The pier columns and caps of the bridge are cracking and spalling, or breaking down. The bridge has been reinforced with steel, but the shoring is beginning to rust and crumble as well.
According to Sykes, Driscoll said the state has 137 bridges in similar condition and limited resources to repair or replace them.

The report states that removing the bridge would cost $1.77 million and replacing it would cost nearly $9 million. Benefits of removing the bridge would include improved visibility, flatter driveways, lower traffic speeds, and an improved truck turn radius at the intersection of Warners and Brickyard roads.

However, removal of the bridge could also lead to slower emergency response times.

If the bridge is replaced, the new bridge would have be 3.5 feet higher to meet current design standards. The intersection of Canton Street and Brickyard Road would be raised 2 feet, leading to a steeper grade for driveways. Two homes and walkways would be removed as well.

“The majority of the people over there want to see this bridge replaced. They even have signs saying ‘save the bridge,’” Sykes said.

Sykes said Magnarelli told Driscoll his district needs the bridge to be replaced.

“If they don’t get it, he feels Van Buren is being shortchanged,” Sykes said.

Magnarelli is the chair of the NYS Assembly’s standing committee on transportation and will try to redirect some funds to the Thruway Authority for the Canton Street Bridge.

While the Thruway Authority has not made a final decision, its “preferred alternative” is the removal of the bridge. Sykes said Driscoll told them he would “need to work some magic” to find funding for the bridge’s replacement and was not making any promises.

Driscoll’s report on the bridge is available at townofvanburen.com.