by Geoff Fox
Town officials are still looking at the possibility of getting a splash pad made before diving in to build a new municipal pool.
The question was raised during the August town meeting last Tuesday evening, August 9, by April Davis during citizen’ s comments and later addressed by Councilman David Kerns.
When Davis came before officials, she asked officials if there was anything new regarding the pool.
Mayor Tim Smith said a representative from Fox and Associates is going to be meeting with himself and Town Manager Mike Faith.
The pool would be the same size as originally decided on a few years ago.
Plans for the pool would have to be re-submitted to the state for approval, said Kerns.
It’s unknown until plans are finalized what the price would be for that new pool.
Smith has reached out to the original contractor if they would want to rebid the project.
“I wish I could tell you that we will dig a hole and start construction next week,” Smith said noting nothing moves fast with the state.
He also told Davis the town received a grant toward the splash pad and assured her that the splash pad would not replace the pool.
Funding determines which would come first.
If the money comes in first for the pool, it would be constructed before the splash pad. If the funding for the splash pad comes first, it would be constructed first.
Kerns said he’ s contacted four or five companies about splash pads but only gotten response from two.
The two companies Kerns has heard back from are in Indiana and Texas.
In his inquiries to the companies, Kerns said he asked for between 3,000 and 5,000 square feet in trying to get the most bang for the buck.
The price range would be in the $350,000 to $450,000 range, Kerns said.
Kerns is hoping to get costs and square footage from all the companies to see what the cost is per square foot and then be able to compare “apples to apples.”
Kerns noted the splash pad can be open while the pool is closed and likened that particular possibility to when the pool would be closed early for the day due to rain, and then the sun comes out. The splash pad could still be open.
“I think you’ ll find that a lot of people will enjoy the splash pad more than you think they will,” Kerns said. “We’re getting a lot of good reports from people that have them in.”
Kerns said splash pads don’t need lifeguards and fencing and that’s one aspect of them that has to be considered.
