Splash pad committee seeks County’s approval

The Picton Splash Pad Committee will seek approval to place their proposed project near the Skate Park at the Picton fairgrounds.

Susan Quaiff, committee co-chair with Phil St. Jean, is to address Council’s Committee of the Whole Thursday, with a presentation assisted by Scott Wentworth and Ryan Aldred.

“We have been so fortunate to have Scott Wentworth volunteering many hours in design and talking with experts of where this splash pad would be most suited,” the report states. “We were able to get stats for children in Prince Edward that are between the ages of birth to 12 years old which we feel is the target group and users of a splash pad area and according to 2011 stats Canada 2720 children live in the County in that age group and if we factor in parents who will come along to the splash pad we are talking about a significant percentage of the overall community using this space.”

The committee seeks the County’s commitment with a request to seek use of the park space between the
quonset hut and the club house at the skate park. The committee needs municipal support before it can move forward with grant applications.

“We have the commitment of several service clubs and the fair board and we would like to request again that
the splash pad be a line item on the budget moving forward with a possible installation date of May 2016…We hope that today we can gain your commitment to offer the space at the Skate Park and the ongoing maintenance of the Splash Pad once it is built. We would also like a commitment to issue receipts and hold all funds until the project meets its goal of approximately $250,000.

Council, In June, was told municipal staff’s opinion was that the splash pad centralized on the exhibition grounds would provide increased recreational opportunities while minimizing maintenance requirements. Staff also recommended the preferred option for offsetting costs is privatizing the Youth Park and new Splash Pad complex to a community group or partner, and offering a decreasing operational subsidy for operation. A group the County already subsidizes is recommended as the most viable choice.

The recommended design is to re-use the water through a recirculating system that captures, treats and reuses the water and reduces the use of the sewer portion of the system.

The group’s Facebook  invites the public to send an e-mail to council at council@pecounty.on.ca in support of their upcoming requests for land and support for operating costs.

“This is a great chance for us to create something special for the children of the County. Many other Ontario towns of similar size or smaller – including Smith Falls, Bobcaygeon, Perth, Frankford and others – operate splash pads, and have found that they help local businesses, draw in new visitors and offer valuable activities for children, parents and grandparents alike.”