Friday, September 13, 2019

A Splash Pad for Beulah Park?

I'm having staff assess the viability and feasibility of installing a small splash pad at Beulah Park


With hot summers here and with a need for additional recreational outlets for neighborhood children, "splash pads" are quickly becoming  must haves throughout the southeast.

Communities throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida are installing these structures.

I have been asked about the feasibility of bringing one of these amenities out to the residents that live near Beulah Park--so I have had some staff looking into this.

With Beulah growing and with a tremendous level of usage at Beulah Park--I believe this would be an ideal location to install a splash pad.

Gulf Breeze recently added a splash pad at Shoreline Park, and rumor has it that Legion Field in the city will be getting a splash pad as well in the near future.

Initial research indicates that a modest structure that could accommodate 15-25 children at a time would cost between $75,000-$90,000.  In addition to upfront costs, there are recurring costs to consider with these structures.  If the water is to be recirculated, it must be monitored and checked daily in order to assure cleanliness and prevent contamination.  If, on the other hand, a system that uses potable water and does not recirculate is selected--it will be less expensive to construct but will generate higher water bills and therefore be costlier to operate in the long term.

Because of Beulah Park's close proximity to the county's equestrian center (where staff is located daily)--this park would be an ideal location for a splash pad.  If daily maintenance is required, staff is close by to handle this tasking.

So there are multiple issues that must be looked at by staff before a final decision can be made.

If it is deemed feasible and practical, I will set aside some of my discretionary LOST funds to construct this amenity. 

I hope we can get this done--it would be great for the county to have one of these for the many children who do not have access to pools or other bodies of water in the heat of our summer.

More to come on this, stay tuned!


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