WILDWOOD CREST – Motel and hotel owners finally have a date when they can reopen their swimming pools. Gov. Phil Murphy announced June 8 that outdoor pools would be allowed to reopen June 22.
The announcement couldn’t have come sooner, as a warm start to June left hotel guests frustrated, or even canceling, because of the inability to use the pools.
Steve Tecco, president of the Greater Wildwood Hotel and Motel Association, said some reservations are being lost to Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, where he said pools are open.
“We were disappointed when we heard Monday (June 8) that it’s June 22, but at least now we have a compass that we can go by,” said Tecco, who also owns a Wildwood Crest hotel.
Previously, hotel owners were receiving calls from people with reservations in late June and July, asking if swimming pools would be open, and hotel operators didn’t have a response, as their fate rested with the governor.
Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera was lobbying, along with the other Wildwood Crest commissioners, for outdoor pools to be opened by Murphy. Cabrera said he pressed the governor’s office on the issue, and the three commissioners passed a formal resolution urging Murphy to open pools at their last public meeting.
“In fact, I got contact from their office that said that had I not been doing that, this may have taken a long time,” said Cabrera.
He agreed that the date was later than he was hoping for and said the borough is in a tricky spot in the meantime.
“It’s better to have a date than to not have a date. Do I think it’s too late? I do,” said Cabrera. “I think we’re in a difficult position to enforce and I certainly would not want to stand in the way of people trying to cover their expenses and make some money and not have to give back money. We’re past that point now. We need to do what we need to do to survive.”
Experts agree that the combination of chlorine and bromine are effective in killing the virus, so you can’t catch it from the water, but the potential for crowded locations and impossibilities of wearing a mask make person-to-person contact a concern.
“It just doesn’t seem to make sense. A chlorinated swimming pool, you would think, would probably be the safest place on the property. Chlorine has a 10-minute kill factor on any virus. You hear, ‘oh, well, we’re following the science.’ In this case, it doesn’t seem to follow science or reason,” argued Tecco.
Another factor that Tecco said is a problem for many colleagues in the hotel and motel association is that it’s the time of year for them to pay Uncle Sam, but the money isn’t coming in for them.
“This time of the year, taxes are due, municipal responsibilities are due. Even though we’ve been permitted to have one month delays on some of these things, the problem is, in some cases, we have less money than we did the previous month because of additional refunds,” said Tecco.
Wildwood Crest is also allowing hotels and motels to place their pool lounge chairs out on the back section of the beach for their guests to use there. This will increase social distancing and give guests an alternative without needing their own beach chair until pools open June 22.
The lounge chairs will not need to be removed at night, but the individual owners are responsible for cleaning the area they occupy, said Cabrera.
“Any gesture is really appreciated,” said Tecco. “One of the things that’s a little disappointing, at least if the pools could be open so far as in people could sit by the pools, that would help with the social distancing.”
Until June 22, it will have to be the beach.
To contact Shay Roddy, email sroddy@cmcherald.com.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
