NORTHAMPTON — The small pool at the Hampshire Regional YMCA is closed indefinitely after a “minor” car accident last weekend caused structural damage to the front of the building.
A vehicle was pulling into a spot in the building’s front parking lot on Prospect Street Saturday morning, according to a Northampton Police officer’s written narrative of the accident. The report states that the driver’s children “began screaming about seeing a chipmunk,” distracting the driver, who then accelerated into the wooden guardrail in the front of the building, causing the airbag to deploy.
The guardrail was then pushed into the front of the building, causing the damage. The driver and property owner were referred to their insurance company, and no criminal charges were given, Northampton Police told the Gazette, describing the accident as “minor” and “accidental.”
“We’re really thankful that everyone is fine and no one got hurt,” said Julie Bianco, the YMCA’s CEO.
Bianco said the outside of the brick wall on the front of the building was damaged, and cracking on the inside is visible. The city’s building inspector determined that area of the building should be closed for the time being.
Bianco said the YMCA is currently waiting for D.A. Sullivan & Sons, Inc., a local construction and project management firm, to find an engineer to assess the damage and there is no timeline for when the pool will reopen.
The pool itself, she added, was not damaged and will be maintained as it normally would. For now, Bianco said the YMCA is trying to reschedule all programming for the small pool to the large pool.
“We’ve really tried to also reschedule any lessons into the larger pool,” Bianco said, noting that staffing would not be affected. “We’re a really busy Y [YMCA], so it’s just difficult to rearrange everything with limited space.”
Bianco said the small pool is used for a variety of programming such as water aerobics, swim lessons, caregiver lessons and more. The pool is 3 to 5 feet deep and several degrees warmer than the large pool.
The small pool section of the building was built in 1986, with the larger part of the building built in 1965, Bianco said.
She said the YMCA will update the community on social media and through member contacts. For more information, visit the YMCA website.