The scene at the Monteith Park splash pad at about 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, 2014.
The July heat wave came at just the right time. This has been the first week that Albany’s new children’s splash pad was open in the renovated Monteith Riverpark.
I was out of town when the park was reopened on July 4 with a big event. Wednesday afternoon was my first chance to take a look at this centerpiece of the Central Albany Revitalization Area’s $21.5 million riverfront renovation project.
As you can see, young people (and some not so young) seemed to be enjoying this system of cold showers Wednesday as the air temperature was still around 90 degrees.
When we were of splash-pad age, my sister and I lived in a city of two and a half million. This was practically in the Middle Ages and there was no such thing as parks with features like this. But I think that later on, we may have run through a sprinkler on very hot days.
It may not be the same thing as activating a splash pad’s water jet by stepping on it, but I think the effect is about the same. It cools you off. (hh)
My bike leans against the colorful restroom building near the splash pad, where the parks department offers sponsorships for sale.
We ran through lawn sprinklers when I was a kid, but, one big difference….they didn’t cost 21.5 million dollars! Oh, my Gawd! What folly!!!
Is a splash pad an essential service of city government like public safety, roads, and sewage treatment?
I suppose one could disingenuously say that splash pads are a form of sewage treatment.
But only if there are no limiting factors in what local government can impose on property taxpayers who had no direct say on this particular expenditure.
Simply put, city government primarily exists to perpetuate itself. This splash pad proves the reality of that assertion.
I continue in my delight running through my sprinklers as an elder – I do recall turning on sprinklers at a local university, encouraging students and professors to join in dashing through the sprinklers as there was no a/c in many buildings – and we indeed loved it!
Our many pot holes filled with rain water are another source of fun for kids.
I don’t mind my tax dollars are spent on making Albany kids happy in summertime.
$400 per Albany resident for the entire project with a life expectancy of 20 years, comes to about $1.66 a month per resident over that period. Happiness of children and the parents and grandparents with a free public space to play and cool – priceless;-)
Nice try but you forgot the interest expense over the 20 years or was the money a gift.
Here’s some worrisome news. A picture in the D-H paper showed a kid about 7 years old suspended in mid-air on his way into the splash pad and its big rocks. The article accompanying the picture said that the floor of the play area is made of a material to facilitate “soft landings.” However, I found out the big decorative rocks are not made of a soft material!!
Looks like the City could be the subject of injury claims or they need a park ranger of sorts to keep kids from jumping high in the air and coming down on the big rocks.
Or better yet, responsible parents to keep their children from doing stupid things like jump on big decorative rocks? That’s probably expecting way too much though.
I agree that safety should be of the highest priority. However, this was designed by a professional, and unless the city charges to use the park, they have recreational immunity from injury claims.
I think people would sue if their kiddie got seriously injured at that splash pad. I have never heard of recreational immunity, but I’m not a lawyer. I think a good lawyer could get around such a broad statement as recreational immunity.
Mary that is one of the most self-aware things I think you’ve written here. You are not a lawyer (or a park/playground designer, or an engineer, etc, etc).
This fictional “Mary” you are so un-fond of would ask, if she existed, are you a lawyer, playground/park designer, or an engineer, etc., etc….to parrot your comment?
If so, offer your services to the City/CARA. They need some guidance.
I like your name…Joe Schmo!! You are right. The recreational immunity law was just updated by Tina Kotek. It is a state law. (I don’t know how many states have it.) However, I found that what is immune is injury from ordinary negligence. Willful or wanton misconduct is not covered by the law. So, a good lawyer, it seems to me, could claim that the city “willfully” decided not to spend for extra buffer between soft playground material and hard cement at its edge. Just sayin’
Not safe for kiddos! Running around on blazing hot pavement with shooting spouts of water that are strong enough to knock lil kiddos down. No trees to shade them, hard hot cement to fall on and water shooting up their lil noses. This could not have been designed for kiddos. Not a place to enjoy! Just a place to get wet and go home.
Neither is the surrounding area, it is cement. Kiddos will run around that whole area playing in and out of the play area so it is not safe.
I grew up here. We had wading pools in most of the parks, filled and drained daily. They had supervision, and an activity and snack program. We had the city pool for 50 cents. Also located many swimming holes along the Periwinkle, before they redid it. Splash pad is a free alternative.
I don’t know when you were born so forgive me but I’m just going to go off the general demographic of Hasso’s readers. According to ROM Economics, 50 cents in 1955 is worth $5.74 in 2024, accounting for inflation. Current price for the “city pool” at Swanson: $5.75.
We went by the other day and loved all of the new additions and upgrades to the park. The splash pad was awesome!
Judging by the huge crowds at 4th of July concert, a ton of walkers and bikers on the path, and the many parents and kids at the splash pad, this project has been a huge success already! Well done Albany.