Many of you (Residents at 257 Vernon St.) use the pool & hot tub facilities regularly and would prefer if it were not closed.

The primary reason given by owner, William J. Rosetti, for closing the pool and hot tub at 257 Vernon St., Oakland, CA is to conserve water in light of the current draught, since not enough people use the facility to justify keeping it open.

The argument that very few people use the pool facility is not accurate. I and the pool maintenance staff notice people using the hot tub regularly - morning, midday and evening.

The pool is not heated. Since this condition is considered by most to be unusable, it is an inappropriate gauge by which to judge how many residents use the hot tub.

The hot tub is a valuable and treasured feature in the apartment complex, and I, for one, would be happy to maintain the current rent rate to keep even just the hot tub open. Since the pool is unusable, closing it would likely make little difference to residents.

An inexpensive thermal cover for the hot tub would reduce both evaporation of water and heat energy loss from the hot tub. It would also cost far less than the waste of draining the hundreds of gallons of water currently stored in the pool and hot tub.

Please voice your desire to continue to enjoy the pool and/or hot tub facility here.