CENTERTON -- Residents can look forward to having a new way to cool off at a splash pad at McKissic Springs Station Park.
The Planning Commission approved the project, 7-0, Tuesday at a meeting at City Hall.
Planning Commission
Centerton Planning Commission meetings are the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 290 N. Main St. Meeting agendas are available online at https://www.centert…">https://www.centert….
Source: Staff report
Joey Ingle was absent from the meeting.
Mayor Bill Edwards said the approval was the last thing the city needed to break ground on the project.
"We think it would be an attractive part of the city, and we look forward to getting it going," said Rick Hudson, Public Works director.
The splash pad will be about 3,650 square feet and cost about $400,000, according to documents.
The project is expected to take about 120 days to complete. Lorene Burns, planning director, said she's unsure when construction will begin.
The splash pad will be designed for use by toddlers through teens and will include 10 above-ground features and 19 ground spray features, according to the plans.
It's designed with three bays for different types of water play.
An action bay features an "engaging, game-oriented play area designed for fun, healthy competition and a serious soaking."
The toddler bay will include gentle jet streams and an aqua dome to be a "source of fun, fascination and discovery."
The family or adventure bay will feature some unpredictable water elements, fountain sprays and a 12-jet cylinder spray.
The splash pad will be the first water amenity for the city, said Lance Johnson, Parks and Recreation director. The city doesn't have a public pool.
City residents are frequent users of Bentonville's aquatic services, said David Wright, Bentonville Parks and Recreation director. He didn't have specific numbers, but Wright said the city's aquatic resources are in higher demand than any other program in the parks system.
"There are so many people using our pools and using our splash pads," Wright said.
Development of parks with splash pads and fountains are particularly popular for small children, he said.
"The kids are wet, they're interacting with the water, there's that big element of play and it's not intimidating at all," Wright said. "It's a really good exercise from an aquatic development standpoint to introduce those kids to that water as soon as they're walking so they can understand that it's nothing to be afraid of."
Centerton developing its own water programs and facilities is as good for the region as it is for the city's residents, he said.
"We want Northwest Arkansas to be the most livable region in the United States," Wright said.
Adding resources in Centerton will take some of pressure off Bentonville's green spaces, he said.
"That's good for the long-term sustainability of our spaces," Wright said.
NW News on 08/21/2019