Several Baltimore pools remain closed during 'dog days of summer' leaving residents in the heat

BALTIMORE - The summer heat is scorching, and for many in Baltimore, there is not much of an option to beat the heat.

Councilman Zeke Cohen is pushing for three closed Baltimore City public pools to reopen.

Summer is more than half over, and still, Cherry Hill, Lake Clifton, and Patterson Park pools remain closed due to ongoing repairs.

Councilman Cohen wants Baltimore's Recs and Parks to open the gates as soon as possible.

"When we think about what actually prevents violence from occurring before it happens, having safe places for our young people to be is mission critical," Cohen said.

Baltimore residents agree.

Having a summer pool option helps keep children in the community active and out of trouble.

"The pool is usually a safe area," said Donte Reed, who lives in Cherry Hill. "Places like the pool or the park or basketball court, a safe area where the kids can go and not get into too much trouble. Something to look forward to, it's not really too much to look forward to in places like this."

Aysa Hubbard, who also lives in Cherry Hill, had high hopes for the community's outdoor pool to be open this summer.

Instead, she remains disappointed. 

"It hasn't been open all summer," Hubbard said. "I moved here before the summer so I thought they were working on it and preparing it for the summer, but there's been no updates."

Residents near Patterson Park are dealing with the same problems.

"We used to spend a lot of time in the pool," said Allison Ramirez. "It was a nice idea but now we go outside, but the kids are like it's too hot. I want to go back home."

Baltimore Recs and Parks told WJZ the pools are closed because of safety. They began inspections during the spring.  

Director Reginald Moore said funding isn't the problem.

The city's infrastructure poses challenges as most city pools are more than 50 years old.

"Our No. 1 priority is their safety, not just young people, but adults and everyone that uses our amenities," Moore said. "We ask for patience but I can assure you that our agency has a plan to address the pool needs"  

Recs and Parks' goal is to reopen the Lake Clifton pool this summer. Cherry Hill and Patterson Park pools are undergoing renovations and will not reopen until Summer 2024.