Swim Club Members: 'We Don't Want This Place to Close'

Dozens of Newtown Swim Club members enjoying what will likely be their last summer at the local pool pleaded with township officials Wednesday night to do something to keep the facility open.

Owner David Platt has announced the club will close after this summer. He is working with County Builders to construct a residential community on the 16.5-acre site, located on Newtown Yardley Road.

County Builders has submitted an application to the township for a 56-townhouse development on the site. The application is currently under review by the township.

However, residents who attended Wednesday’s meeting want the township to do something to save the club.

“This area should be saved because of the benefit all residents of the Newtown area derive from it,” said Bob King, who serves on Newtown Borough Council. King said he is willing to work with the residents and township officials to see if preserving the property as a swim club is a feasible option.

Several residents spoke passionately about the club and the important role it has in the community.  It is a place where families to gather, children play and teenagers work during the summer, residents said.

“I would love to see the township and the borough collaborate here and figure out some way to save the club with the help of residents. There are so many reasons to keep this club,” said Newtown resident Marybeth Delione. “A swim club to me is one of the only places on earth where kids can still be kids.”

A nine-year-old girl even came up to the microphone and gave a tearful plea to the board. 

“This place is like a second home to me,” the 9-year-old said. “All of my friends we were crying our eyes out because we don’t want this place to close. It is one of the best places I’ve ever been in my whole entire life and I would not want to swim anywhere else.”

People from Newtown and beyond attended the meeting to voice their wish to keep the club open. “There’s no place like this within 80 miles. I can’t stress enough how much it means to me,” said a Hamilton, N.J. resident.

Officials say they don’t have much say at this point what happens to the swim club because it’s a privately-owned property. “It’s a difficult situation. Loosing the swim club is a terrible thing,” supervisor Matt Benchener said.

Benchener said the residents could mobilize and raise money for the cause, but the problem is “we don’t know what he sold that property for. It’s a private sale.”

And with an application for townhomes on the site already submitted, some wondered if it is too late to preserve the club as a swimming spot.

“I don’t think the ship has sailed. I think it might be half way out of the harbor,” said supervisor Ryan Gallagher. “The property owner and the developer would have to receive what they believe to be fair compensation. I have no idea what that number is.”