Neighbors organizing for our pool.
Save the Valles Pool is a volunteer coalition of New Canaan residents and neighbors from surrounding towns who believe the New Canaan YMCA's Valles Pool is worth fighting for.
We came together in 2026 after learning that the YMCA board was weighing the demolition of the pool, and that the engineering and usage reports being cited to justify the decision had not been shared with the membership. We aren't lawyers or lobbyists. We're parents, seniors, coaches, and lifelong members who believe a community asset built by community donations deserves more than a closed-door decision.
Our ask is simple: pause, show the evidence, and consider alternatives before any permanent decision. That's it.
A short history of the pool.
1978–1980. The Valles Pool is built. The Y's existing four-lane pool, dating to the early 1960s, could no longer accommodate demand. A community fundraising effort led by the Valles family makes a new pool possible. It is designed with three priorities: at least six lanes, a diving well deep enough for competitive diving and synchronized swimming (the Valles family strongly supported synchro), and dimensions that meet the standards for sanctioned swimming, diving, and synchro events. The finished pool has 7-foot-wide lanes and a 13-foot diving well.
2014–2017. The Y undertakes a major renovation that adds the Forese Pool and other facility improvements. Because of property setbacks and other site constraints, Forese has narrower 6'-5" lanes and a 10-foot deep end , short of high school swim and diving standards. Nobody on the project is troubled by this, because the Valles Pool already meets those standards. Forese is built to complement Valles, not to replace it.
2026. Without the Valles Pool, the Y would no longer be able to host sanctioned swim or dive meets, and would lose the only diving well in town. That's what the board is now considering giving up.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is behind this coalition?
- We're an all-volunteer group of New Canaan residents, parents of swim-team kids, senior aquatics members, an adaptive aquatics instructor, and longtime YMCA members. We are not affiliated with the YMCA itself.
- Are you anti-YMCA?
- No. Many of us have been YMCA members for decades and intend to remain so. We support the Y's mission. We're asking the board for transparency and a community process before a permanent, irreversible decision.
- What outcome are you asking for?
- (1) Pause any vote on the Valles Pool until the process is transparent. (2) Publicly release the engineering report and usage survey the Y has cited. (3) Convene a public working session with affected user groups and weigh alternatives, including repair of the existing structure, alongside demolition.
- Where do petition signatures go?
- Signatures will be printed and formally delivered to the Board Chair and Executive Director ahead of any scheduled vote, along with a summary of comments and impact areas.
- How can I help if I don't live in New Canaan?
- Many NC YMCA members come from Darien, Wilton, Norwalk, Stamford, and Greenwich. Your signatures still count and help demonstrate the regional reach of this facility. Sharing the petition with friends in town is also enormously helpful.
- Will my email be shared or sold?
- Never. Email is used solely to verify signatures and send occasional campaign updates. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get in touch.
Questions, story tips, offers to volunteer, or just a hello, we read every email.