The Pool at Randallstown Community Center reopened at 6 a.m. on Oct. 19 under Baltimore County management, welcoming swimmers back for water aerobics, lap swimming and recreational swim. It was the first day of operations for the Randallstown since the Y of Central Maryland ended its management role in August. (The county-owned Pool at Dundalk Community Center reopened on Oct. 14.)
Two days earlier, families, seniors, friends and other community members attended an open house hosted by the county’s Department of Recreation and Parks. They toured the facility, asked questions and signed up for memberships or drop-in sessions. Although the weather was cool and blustery, those who stepped into the pool area and dipped their hands into the water found it comfortably warm.
“The water is 84 degrees,” Bryan Sheppard, acting director of Recreation and Parks, assured one visitor. “We’re really pleased with how things turned out. A lot of hard work came together in six weeks.”
During the transition, the county completed several improvements, including cleaning the pool, replacing bathroom flooring and painting walls, Sheppard said. Officials also secured a maintenance contract to ensure proper pool chemical levels and help keep the facility in good working order.
Hours of Operation and Fees
Both the swim centers in Randallstown and Dundalk, for which the county also assumed operations, feature 25-yard, six-lane indoor pools with depths ranging from four to 10 feet, along with men’s, women’s and family changing facilities. The rates for each location will be the same but the hours of operation will differ. The Randallstown pool is closed on Tuesdays and Sundays and opens at 6 a.m. the remaining days with varying hours.
Sheppard said because the current swim centers’ hours are not where they were under the Y, the fees have been discounted. A pilot program featuring the rates — significantly lower than the Y’s — is in effect through the end of December. Residents may purchase monthly memberships or pay for daily admission. One monthly membership provides access to both the Randallstown and Dundalk pools and includes classes. Fees, which are discounted for adults 60 and older and children 12 years and younger, range from $3 for the daily drop-in rate and go up to $27 for a monthly pass for a family of up to four people.
Staffing Is a Priority
At least two lifeguards will always be on duty, allowing swimmers to remain in the water while lifeguards take their required breaks rather than having to exit every 45 minutes. An aquatics facility operator will also be on staff.
Randallstown resident Jyree Poindexter returns as a lifeguard. With three years of lifeguarding experience, Poindexter, 19, said he hopes to help more residents develop an essential life skill.
“I want to help people learn how to swim safely,” he said.
Also joining the lifeguard team is Pikesville resident Kena Morton, 18, who has been hired as a lifeguard. A psychology major at the Community College of Baltimore County’s Catonsville campus, Morton said the work schedule fits well with her classes.
Inspired by a brother who works as a swim coach and lifeguard at a local pool, Morton had long wanted to become a lifeguard but was unsure how to get started until she discovered the county’s opportunity. She said she appreciates the focus on safety. “Plus, I think checking the chemicals is cool.”
The county also plans to contract with instructors like Shelvon Costley to offer classes. Costley, a resident of Windsor Mill who attended the open house, said she plans to teach an Aqua Zumba class starting in November. Her children may join the center through a family membership.
Familiar Faces Return
As the swim center begins its new chapter, another familiar face is returning to help maintain its strong community connections.
Tawanda Ford, who spent 14 years with the Y as the Randallstown Swim Center’s membership director, is returning in a community liaison role. She said she is excited to reconnect with and assist the residents.
“I look forward to helping wherever I can,” Ford said. “It’s all about community. I had so many close relationships with the people here. It’s a family environment.”
Community Feedback
The Y of Central Maryland had operated the county-owned swim center since it opened in 2009 as part of the Randallstown Community Center. In April, the Y informed Baltimore County officials that it would not renew the management agreement, prompting Recreation and Parks to close the Randallstown effective Aug. 31 and begin planning for the transition and the facility’s future. (The Y also ended its partnership with the county-owned pool in the Dundalk community center.)
To help shape those plans, the department held community listening sessions and launched an online survey, inviting residents to share their priorities for pool operations, programming and hours. At the Aug. 18 meeting in Randallstown, community members shared their experiences and expectations, emphasizing their desire for early operating hours, clean and well-maintained pools, changing areas and bathrooms, customer-friendly staff and affordable rates.
Left: Selvon Costley (second from right) plans to teach Aqua Zumba. She attended the open house with her parents Sandra and Shelton Skinner and daughters Marice’-Jane and Mariah-Jane. Right: Lifeguard Kena Morton will work after her classes at CCBC. Photos: Janet Anderson, Northwest Voice