Highland Park-based group looks to expand in E.B.
By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
The YM-YWHA of Raritan Valley has purchased the former East Brunswick Country Swim Club after renting it the past four summers.
The YM-YWHA (Young Man, Young Woman Hebrew Association) will use the 10-acre facility as a summer camp for children, as well as a swim club for all ages. Senior citizens in the township have long complained about the need for a community swimming facility, according to the association.
"We needed a new camp site, and it will be maintained as a swim club as well," said Robin Kessler, the Y’s assistant executive director.
The sale of the facility, located on Dutch Road, was closed last month.
Martin Freidman, president of the Y’s board of directors, said the acquisition is "an important milestone in the ongoing revitalization of the Y." It also "assures a permanent home for the Y’s summer camp program, while offering opportunities to broaden the scope of the Y’s programming."
Kessler said that, for now, the facility will pretty much stay the same, but the organization is committed to performing renovations and modernization over a period of time. It plans to perform improvements to the amenities including refurbishing the bathrooms and improving the athletic facilities.
In addition, the purchase will "allow us to expand the activities for the summer camp. We’re always expanding and looking for new ideas," she said. "Our plans are always very progressive."
The club has a large swimming pool, a wading pool for small children, changing areas, a snack bar and an ice cream parlor. Across its 10 acres, it also has tennis courts, a softball field, a playground and multipurpose pavilions.
According to the organization, customers of the East Brunswick Swim Club should understand that although ownership is different, the facility will still be operated as a swim club for all ages with membership open to the general public.
The Y will continue to maintain its main facility in Highland Park, but the East Brunswick location was needed, Kessler said, to accommodate the summer camp, which has grown to enroll about 190 children.
"Child care is our area of expertise, so now that we can offer it at two sites is very exciting for us," she said. "This gives us quite a lot of space that we didn’t own before," she said.
As per an agreement with the former owners of the facility, it must be maintained as a swim club for the next seven years, she said.
"For now, our goal is to maintain it as a swim club and use it for the camp," Kessler said.
The swim club and camp are open Memorial Day through Labor Day, and the camp is run each day but is not a sleepover camp, she said.
The club will offer individual swimming lessons, and lifeguards are provided, she said.
The new area should give camp-goers a more thorough outdoor experience.
"It’s wooded, shady; it’s lovely," Kessler said. "It’s a beautiful piece of property with a lot of shaded areas. It’s completely fenced in. You can see around the whole panorama of the club. We’re delighted that we have ownership of this club now."
The camp will have eight-week camp programs, either full- or half-day, as well as offering shorter programs. It will serve children from age 4 to those entering seventh grade.
The facility will "provide additional family programming at the swim club during the summer to give campers and their parents the opportunity to enjoy the facility together."
Kessler said other new initiatives may include events for singles or senior citizens.
"I’m a resident of the township myself, so it has been a dream of mine for many years to make this happen out there," she said.
The YM-YWHA is a multiuse organization that provides after-school aquatics and full senior citizen programs, among others. It recently celebrated its 90th anniversary, Kessler said. It is based in Highland Park.