When Will Hoboken And Other NJ Towns Get To Use Weehawken's Pool?

HOBOKEN, NJ — Will Hoboken residents get to take a dip in Weehawken's new recreation pool complex at any point this summer — or will Weehawken "dip," as the young folks say?

[UPDATE: The answer is, TODAY. See the update and form to use the pool, here.]

Weehawken's sprawling new recreation complex was built in part with $2 million in state Green Acres funds — meaning residents of other New Jersey towns should have access to it.

But despite the state's Department of Environmental Protection telling the town it has to make the pool available, the township has restricted access this summer to its own residents, saying it's because of COVID numbers.

The town has failed to explain why residents of other towns couldn't count toward the total.

Back in May, after a Hoboken dad and others reached out to the state DEP to ask about compliance, DEP officials responded in a May 17 email saying Weehawken would have to allow other New Jersey residents into the pool.

It's now August, with fewer than six weeks left until the reopening of area public schools — and the Weehawken pool website still says it's open only to residents for the season.

Hoboken residents have been particularly vocal about the issue, since their town has — despite promises for decades — failed to build its own pool, and the Weehawken complex is within walking distance of Hoboken.

Hoboken Mayor Speaks Out

Marilyn Baer, the spokesperson for Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, said, when asked for an update, "Mayor Bhalla has been in touch with both Mayor Richard Turner and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Services to advocate on behalf of residents' access to the Weehawken Pool."

She added, "He hopes the Township of Weehawken will allow residents access to the Green Acres
funded pool in short order as required by the NJDEP."

Hoboken dad Andrew Stroebel, who communicated with the DEP on the matter earlier this summer, said late last week, "DEP met with Weehawken last week but DEP said Weehawken has made no progress in complying with their rules. They are meeting again this week."

He added, "The situation appears to me that Weehawken thinks they are above DEP rules and don’t have to comply in a timely manner. What frustrates me is that Weehawken is always saying that the lack of parking is why non residents can’t use the pool. But the pool is easily accessible via light rail, bike, and taxi."

The DEP has been clear in its language for Weehawken.

Maude Snyder, a compliance officer with the Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration, part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, wrote in an email to Strobel on May 17, "The entirety of Waterfront Park is Green Acres funded – part through GA funded purchase and part through parkland replacement for a diverted, funded park. Since the land is funded, the facilities must be available to the general public on a reasonable basis."

She added, "That means that Weehawken may give some preference to their residents but that nonresidents cannot be excluded."

She also said that Stroebel wasn't the only one who had reached out about the matter, and that she'd left a message for Weehawken administrator Gio Ahmad.

"Green Acres paid Weehawken just over $2M for the acquisition of Block 36.04, Lot 6 (Waterfront Park)," she explained. "The other lots within Waterfront Park were acquired as replacement compensation for Weehawken's two diversions of funded parkland. The entire park is therefore considered funded."

Patch reached out to the DEP for an update last week. They responded on Thursday, "DEP declines comment on this matter."

Ahmad did not respond to a request for comment from Patch.

Recently, urban planners in a North Jersey town stressed the importance of cities having a town pool and low-cost or free swimming lessons for all, in response to a teen student's drowning.

Other Pools To Use

The Weehawken pool actually opened in summer 2021, and was called "stunning" by NJ.com, which ran a photo essay.

Stroebel said he's been taking his family to the pools in Union City, which are free for all Hudson County residents. There are a variety of Union City pools: A lap pool up the 14th Street Viaduct in Firemen's Memorial Park; a 1-foot-deep pool perfect for toddlers at the Michael Leggiero Music Park, and even a pool with a pirate ship and water side at Juan Pablo Duarte Park. However, they are not as walkable from Hoboken as Weehawken's complex (see more information on the Union City pools here).

Hoboken approved an agreement recently with the Stevens Institute of Technology for residents to use their indoor pool for a membership fee. Residents also can use the Hoboken High School indoor pool on afternoons and on two Saturdays coming up (Aug. 6 and 13). But that doesn't mean Weehawken should ban residents from their new outdoor pool, Hobokenites say.

You can leave a comment below. Patch will update the story if new information is received.

Other Pool Updates:

• Read about the deal between Hoboken and Stevens to use their indoor pool here.
• Read about an indoor Jersey City pool that Hoboken residents can use for a fee, within this story.
• Get the list of area pools and spray parks Hoboken residents can use here.