The Board of the Fox Hollow Swim Club would like to thank our membership for the opportunity to explore the proposed land lease with AT&T.
Over the past month, many pros and cons have been discussed and the concerns and dissention among our neighbors regarding the possibility of installing a cell tower on the swim club property have been heard.
It is for these reasons, and after careful consideration, that the board has made the decision not to pursue the contract with AT&T any further.
The potential loss of members and, more importantly, the potential division within the Fox Hollow neighborhood heavily impacted our decision, as a board, to no longer pursue the cell tower contract.
As a board, the long-term viability and continued growth of the Fox Hollow Swim Club is our No. 1 goal.
It is our responsibility to ensure that the club is operational and successful for many years to come.
The Fox Hollow Swim Club provides safe, outdoor recreational, educational and athletic opportunities for the families in our neighborhood.
This is exemplified by the social events we hold, the swim lessons we teach, and the growth of our competitive swim and dive teams.
In addition, it also provides summer employment options for many of the youth in the local community.
The Fox Hollow Swim Club is a family destination that not only supports our membership but the outside community as well, by providing a summer outlet for local camp programs that do not offer in-house swimming facilities and by being a gathering place for the neighborhood at large demonstrates the club’s true value.
For these reasons and more, it is imperative that the facility is maintained in proper working order.
Unfortunately, with a facility that is more than 40 years old, the costs to do so have outpaced revenues over the last 10 years.
We have made a number of significant strides over the past several years with major repairs to the main pool pump, the club electrical system, replacement of nonfunctional and aging grills, and with reconstruction of the diving board.
With major infrastructure repairs looming in the near future (pool deck, coping and underground pool supply and return lines), we are concerned about having the funding necessary to run the club long term.
These issues are not unique to our club, and are in fact faced by most of the other 13 swim clubs in Cherry Hill.
Exploring the cell tower proposal was a unique opportunity to increase revenue to sustain the club without putting further financial burden on our current and future members.
It would have been financially irresponsible for the board not to consider any source of potential income that could have sustained the club in a safe working order.
With the cell phone tower not being a viable option to increase revenue for the club, the time is now for our members, and the neighborhood community at large, to be committed to the long-term revitalization and improvement goals of the swim club.
This can be accomplished by maintaining memberships, supporting club fundraisers throughout the year, and by encouraging new families to join the Fox Hollow Swim Club.
These are the only ways we can protect this valuable neighborhood asset.
Tim O’Connor
