Massive NYC pool shuttered for repairs for second year in a row amid extreme heat wave

One of the city’s largest pools will be closed during this week’s scorching heat wave and for most of next month because of “unforeseen” mechanical issues – the second straight year the aging community “lifeline” has suffered a shutdown.The popular Red Hook Pool, among five Olympic-sized tubs in Brooklyn, did not open to the public during the citywide outdoor pool opening day Saturday “due to the sudden, unforeseen failure of mechanical equipment,” city Parks Department reps said.The nearly century-old summer oasis won’t be open for most of July, either, joining several pools citywide that remain closed at the onset of the season, the department said.Among the other shut city pools is the supposed back-up that Red Hook families are being directed to on the NYC Parks’ website as an alternative to their own closed site.“It’s very disappointing,” said Red Hook mom Karin-Jolie Rosado.

“We waited all year for this.“It was closed last summer, and then this summer there are still issues,” she said of the local pool.“They should have resolved the issues by now.”Her 8-year-old daughter Loretta said, “It’s really sad because we don’t have anywhere else to swim.”The opening of Red Hook’s 90-year-old pool complex was delayed until August last year because of a broken decades-old pipe, according to The City Reporter.This year’s delay was blamed on a flooded filter plant beneath the pool, which damaged motors and other equipment, a Parks rep said — adding that the discovery was only made four days before opening day.“This could’ve been avoided,” said Adam Ganser, executive director of the advocacy group New Yorkers For Parks, who called the matter “at its purest form, a staffing issue.”The policy group noted that an estimated 50 plumbers on Parks’ payroll is far below the number needed to maintain the city’s 1,700 parks and playgrounds.The group is now renewing calls for the agency to fund an additional 150 trade...