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Residents urge Cutler Bay to delay Cutler Ridge Pool closure, ask for affordable repairs and Parks & Rec review
Summary
At least a dozen residents told the council the Cutler Ridge Pool is essential for swim lessons, seniors, lap swimmers and first-responder training and asked the town to pursue targeted, affordable repairs rather than immediate closure. Vice Mayor Callahan asked that the Stantec report be forwarded to the Parks & Recreational Advisory Committee and requested a closure delay until committee recommendations are available.
Dozens of residents told the Town of Cutler Bay Council on Feb. 18 that Cutler Ridge Pool is a community resource and urged the town to postpone closure and focus on safety-driven, affordable repairs.
Dora Olson, a Cutler Bay resident, told the council she had read the Stantec report and urged a different approach: "The goal should be safety and use so that we can use it," she said, urging the town to present a report that "shows what needs to be done to make it safe and affordable." Several speakers echoed that sentiment, noting the pool’s role in summer learn-to-swim programs, senior exercise and training for local fire and rescue teams.
Resident Stefan O’Famfani identified a smaller, near-term repair package as a priority and cited a roughly $252,000 section of work—an earlier $188,000 repair in 2022—that he said could keep the facility usable for roughly three years while the town builds a replacement. "The $252,000 section ... was $188,000 and that makes the pool available for possibly the next 3 years," he told the council.
Town manager Rafael Casals defended the consultant analysis and said the town must consider technical requirements—such as a 40-year inspection and re-bonding—as well as operating costs, noting recent high water bills. Casals said the Stantec report is a professional consultant product and that the town has tried to prolong the facility’s operation while weighing safety and fiscal impacts.
Vice Mayor Callahan asked that the Stantec report be forwarded to the Parks & Recreational Advisory Committee so the committee can review the report at its March meeting and return recommendations to council; she also asked that the pool closure be delayed until that committee meets. Mayor Marybeth and the manager agreed to provide the report to the vice mayor and to seek ways to give the public more information.
What’s next: The report will be shared with the Parks & Recreational Advisory Committee for review ahead of the March council meeting; the town manager said staff would provide additional information to the public.
