Rexburg kids expected to be playing in Porter Park’s splash park back in July. Budget setbacks have postponed the opening until late spring or early summer.
“That splash park will be usable when school gets out next summer,” Rexburg Mayor Shawn Larson said.
A splash park consists of several fountains with a concrete pad that spray at random intervals. A central computer will control the spray pattern and a series of pumps recycle the water.
“I’ve been told by our Public Works Department that we’re going to see some construction on the splash park this year,” Larsen says. ”Believe you me, I want to see construction.”
A fundraising sign on the corner of 2nd W. and 2nd S. indicates the community has raised $10,000 for Porter Park’s new slides. The sign reads: “$200,000 needed for our splash park water slides. Send donations: 12 N. Center St. Rexburg, ID, 83440. Or call 208-359-3020 ext. 0.”
The Rexburg Parks and Recreation Department proposed a splash park when the initial bond for a city pool failed in the 2004 city election.
The city will pay for the splash park while the community will pay for an accompanying water slide. The estimated cost for the total project is $400,000.
“The controversy over a city pool has been going on for several years,” said Shane Goodwin, a Rexburg citizen who moved here in 1997. “I support the idea of a splash park even though my kids are at an age that they won’t be able to use it much.”
The project was delayed because the entire project was too expensive for a single bid. Instead, the city will bid out individual projects.
|
HELPFUL LINKS