By Debra Messick

CAMBRIDGE - Despite sweltering temperatures in the nearly 100-year-old gym inside the Robbins YMCA, over a 100 people filled the folding chairs set up for a special members meeting June 18.

Those without seats stood in the back of the stifling room.

YMCA of the Chesapeake CEO Robbie Gill, who had invited the entire 1,464 active membership list, provided industrial sized fans and a super-sized cooler stocked with bottled water on ice, and held the presentation to 30 minutes, hoping to help people stay cool.

Later, when the crowd followed Gill to the air-conditioned lobby, he was greeted with a barrage of still heated comments and questions.

At the outset, after thanking members for coming out, Gill introduced Triangle 2 Solutions CEO Lori Swann and President Tom Massey. Triangle 2 is a market research firm which works solely for nonprofit sector entities, including five times for Y of the Chesapeake.

They presented graphics from their market study showing data derived from personal interviews with 800 random Dorchester County residents, tracking their demographics, and noting their reasons for potentially joining the Y, including amenities they most desired and their preferred location, the current site, or Cambridge Harbor. A third possible site on Maple Dam Road near the high school was ruled out earlier.

According to Swann, the Cambridge Harbor site attracted a 71% approval rating among those questioned.

Following up on the data showing universally strong support for aquatics, Gill stressed that the Robbins Y pool, designed for doing laps, has detrimental limits.

“When the community is requesting a warmer water pool with a shallow entry, space for young children to learn to swim and older adults to have easier access to warmer water, you can't retrofit an existing pool to meet that need," Gill said.

"Right now, you need to be 5ft 2 just to be able to have your head above water in the existing pool. The pool building envelope isn't large enough to expand the pool to meet those identified needs."

A lift is available to assist those needing help entering and exiting the pool, but the time involved and embarrassment at needing to ask for help inhibits many from actually using it, he said.

In addition to an updated pool, Gill pointed out that a new building with a larger gym at the waterfront location could offer additional event space to help replace Governor’s Hall, which was demolished as CWDI readied plans for the Cambridge Harbor site.

After the presentation, as members filed out of the gym, several shared their impressions.

A few remarked-on trouble hearing the speakers due to fan noise. Others were more troubled by what they heard.

One woman who didn't want to give her name identified herself as having worked hard to get the Y installed at the present location.

Noting the difficulty of that process, she hated to see the location changed. She also voiced strong opposition to the idea of putting the nonprofit Y at the proposed Cambridge Harbor location, which should be generating needed tax revenue for the community.

Member Donna Towers, 82, mentioned that she had exercised in the gym that morning and it was “fine.”

Towers, who used to teach exercise classes at the Y, also referred to her long association with the building, having attended middle school there.

During a presentation to the Cambridge Association of Neighborhoods in April 2023, Gill noted that the building’s prior history as a “white” school during the segregation era remained problematic for an organization dedicated to serving the whole community.

The air-conditioned lobby area and hallway remained filled as Gill fielded concerns voiced.

Several people wondered how school age children who traveled to the Y on bikes could safely navigate across the Cambridge Creek drawbridge and up Maryland Avenue.
Others questioned why the current site, with its seven-acre footprint, couldn't be upgraded or why a new building couldn't be constructed.

Mentioning what they called the current Y’s staffing shortage, a woman asked how the community could supply a larger facility.

One man asked, “If you can’t go to the water, will you just not do anything to fix things here?”

A number of people voiced opposition to the nonprofit Y taking up prime tax generating space at Cambridge Harbor.

And others expressed concern about what will happen to the property in the heart of a residential neighborhood if the Y leaves.

But not all who stayed to listen went along with the vocal minority’s opposition to and questioning of Gill’s position that “we can just do better.”

Wendy Windsor Ashburn, who serves on the Ys leadership council, felt that Gill’s desire to serve the entire community was absolutely genuine.

She also noted that the current location doesn't serve many in other areas of the city, including those living on the other side of Rt. 50.

Ashburn said when she has suggested that people visit the new, state of the art Chestertown Y to see the possibilities a new building could offer, those opposed to the Cambridge Harbor site are not interested.

Gill gave out his email address and cell phone number, offering to continue hearing people’s concerns.

Following the meeting, when asked if he was discouraged by the response of those attending the meeting, he pointed out that despite a packed house, those attending represented only about 7% of the Y membership.

“Personally, I've spoken with 100+ community members that are in support of a new YMCA and the location at Cambridge Harbor. The vast majority are in favor to a level that they would also be donors to the project,” Gill replied via email.

Concerning the questions about safe travel to a waterfront Y, Gill responded that the current site has problems, as well.

“We've had three staff hit by vehicles at night walking and/or skateboarding to and from the Y on Talbot St. It's dark at night, sidewalks are inconsistent.

"Building a new Y, ideally you navigate those types of concerns partnering with key stakeholders, City staff and others. We have 11 YMCAs across the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia serving over 50,000 people and a new Y on the way in Lexington Park. Collaborative work is key in creating a transformational safe project. We've been fortunate to work hand in hand with partners on all our projects,” Gill wrote.