The second installment of our educational series on how to create a community splash pad is focusing on the goals of the splash pad and its development. The last post focused on items to be accomplished in the pre-planning stage.
Goals
By creating your project’s goals, decision makers and planners can refer to the objectives they set in the beginning to re-evaluate their choices to ensure they meet the goals they originally set out with. The goal of a Master Plan is to provide community residents exceptional open space, park land, facilities and programs to splash pad users.
The following goals and objectives are intended to provide an operational framework for future decisions related to provision of parks and recreation.
- Create a Sense of Community
- Offer programming targeted to families and those residents without support services.
- Celebrate the community through participation in community functions and events.
- Support and encourage new developments to include areas for active and passive recreation.
- Provide parks and recreation facilities that are accessible to all residents of the community and the highest quality, that preserve open space and history, are well maintained.
- To create a community of healthy residents by providing opportunities that promote and encourage active lifestyles.
- Provide recreation programming and facility opportunities that meet the needs and interests of the entire community.
- To use existing community resources efficiently and to demonstrate fiscal responsibility.
- To build a city-wide system of parks connected by trails and greenways to provide both active and passive recreation opportunities.
- To enhance the landscape character and aesthetics of parks to heighten the experience of the spray park user.
- To increase the accessory services and facilities available to the park system use such as adequate restrooms, water fountains, concessions, shades areas, and playgrounds.
Development
Clearly define the goals of the project (i.e. health and safety, revenue generation, community building, etc.) and frame public discussions, budget numbers and designs in terms of established goals.
- Design the splash pad so that capacity aligns with projected use and revenue goals. Don’t cap users at a much lower number than the official capacity of their splash pad for safety.
- Ensure access issues such as parking are considered early in the design process.
- Plan for expansion and new features (i.e. install more ground sprays than will initially be used and buy water features that can be replaced or exchanged).
- Explore opportunities to develop splash pads near other public amenities such as parks, playgrounds, pools, picnic areas and community centers.
- Ensure adequate seating with shade for adults supervising splash pad users.
- Install mechanical and electrical equipment on concrete surfaces and insulated from dust, debris and dirt.
Important considerations during the planning process:
- Physical Location
- Within Community
- Within Park and Recreation District
- Proximity to similar nearby facilities
- Location and Availability of Parking
- Is there sufficient parking?
- Is there van or bus parking?
- Is the parking shared with other activities?
- Location and Availability of Restrooms and Concessions
- Are restrooms included?
- Are changing areas included?
- Existing Utility Services (Water, Sanitary, Storm and Electrical)
- Are existing utilities nearby or on site?
- Nearby Amenities and Facilities (Playground, Athletic Fields, Mini Golf, Courts, etc.)
- Are there nearby facilities that will complement the spray park? Or negatively impact the spray park?
- Neighborhood Connectivity, Bicycle Routes
- Connectivity to nearby regional bicycle or multi-use trail systems.
To learn more about planning an Aquatix splash pad and about our water play products, contact us!
