Hazlet Swim Club Plans New Rock Walls Over Pool, 66-Ft Zip Line, Shade Tents

"It's going to look a lot different," said Hazlet Township Administrator Dennis Pino. The club "hasn’t had a lot of work of this scope," he said. (View the slideshow attached to this article.)

The DPW will replace the old inefficient fixtures with 31 new decorative ones ($13,000), and install festive shade tents. There will be 9 yellow, red and blue polygon-shaped 8-foot awnings in clusters of three. 

The township has gone out to bid seeking two rock climbing walls and if successful and on budget, the kids at the Diving Tank will get two new climbing walls to scale ($38,000). A 66-foot long zip line -- a sort of long swing -- is going in nearby ($19,000). There will be two new outdoor table tennis games installed, likely under the main pavilion ($2,500). 

In an effort to be more ADA-compliant, the pool club will get motorized chair lifts at the Main Pool and Wading Pool ($9,000), a new dual-height water fountain ($2,700) and replacement of the older and worn retractable steps at the main pool ($3,000). 

A better sound system will be installed ($5,000) and new security lighting ($3,000) and cameras in key locations. 

Landscaping improvements are underway ($3,000.) To save money, the Dept. of Public Works is providing the labor as well as pool equipment installation. On March 20, The Dept. of Public Works was on the scene, ripping out the overgrown bushy landscaping that has been creeping out of control for decades in preparation for new planting beds. 

The town is also considering an earlier opening and later closing, especially when there is a heat wave or special event. The current 2014 hours are 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. seven days a week. 

As for what this will cost members, Pino said the current rates were set a few years ago and there is no plan for increases. "We're actually looking at lowering the fee," he said. Rates are reviewed by the governing body every few years, so any decrease would not be effective this year, he said. 

The 2014 season begins June 27. Membership applications for residents and non-residents are already available through the Hazlet GovOnline system. Discounts are available for sign-ups before May 10.