The board of directors of the Piscataquis Regional YMCA in Dover-Foxcroft has announced that the facility will be closing by Nov. 1 due to “a combination of obstacles.”

“We know this is a difficult time and we appreciate everyone's understanding as this was a difficult decision,” the board wrote in a statement posted on the local YMCA’s Facebook page on Friday.

The 48 Park St. facility has been open since 1988. In the statement, the board said the pool would close immediately, and that “other services will be closing over the coming weeks.”

The board, in its statement, called the current facility “financially unsustainable.” 

“After-effects of the pandemic, reduction in memberships, programming and declining public funds proved to be a combination of obstacles too great for the Piscataquis Regional YMCA to continue operations,” the board wrote.

The announcement triggered an outcry of criticism on the local YMCA’s Facebook page.

“What your answers say is, ‘We saw no profit, we did not implement a new business strategy, so, we closed,’” Kimberly Faye Orff wrote on the page.

“Absolute cowards,” wrote Jon Knepp. 

The board’s statement indicated members of the Dover-Foxcroft location will be welcome at the Old Town-Orono YMCA, roughly 40 miles away.