By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The accessible playground equipment for Phase 1 of the new ARC Park, is on its way to Hays and city commissioners have now given the go-ahead to proceed with the Phase 2 splash pad and parking lot.
"We're excited for what the splash pad will offer our community," Arc of the Central Plains board president Sarah Meitner told the commission Thursday night.
"Not only does it offer a new seasonal accessible play space, but it will also attract families and groups from throughout the region," she said.
City commissioners also voted 4-0-0 to approve a $300,000 city donation to the splash pad in Seven Hills Optimist Park, 33rd and Hillcrest project.
Michael Berges recused himself from the vote as board treasurer of Arc of Central Plains.
The splash pad doesn't replace the experience of visiting the large swimming pool at the Hays Aquatic Park in downtown Hays.
"It's convenient. It's free and little ones can cool off quickly with families not having to spend their whole day there," Meitner pointed out.
The ARC splash pad, to be built north of the playground area, will comprise 2,500 square feet of play space with a recirculating water system surrounded by a five-foot tall fence.
It's expected to operate during daylight hours from May 1 to September 20 each year, depending on the weather.
"It'll accommodate 100 children at a time with a variety of nozzles, sprays, dump buckets, arches and more play features."
Total cost of the splash pad is $666,608.
The local Bob and Patricia Schmidt Foundation offered a $300,000 grant for the project in September, allowing fundraising to begin for Phase 2.
The gift included a $300,000 matching challenge donation from the city of Hays.
Another $38,000 has been raised to date with the "Drop in the Bucket" campaign and a mailed donation request will go out to Hays residents later this month.
"We're confident the city will continue to support us," Meitner said. "We are in a different economic climate but we hope the mailer is pretty persuasive and we'll get people to maybe dig a little deeper."
"I think dealing with what I consider one of our most vulnerable population, our city certainly understands that," said Sandy Jacobs, vice-mayor. "The ability to have everybody enjoying it and be all-inclusive, I think is very exciting."
Although construction won't begin until spring 2021, equipment will be ordered within the next couple of weeks to take advantage of 2020 pricing.
Meitner hopes the splash pad will open no later than July 4, 2021.
"We are confident that we will draw people from outside the region and beyond, even passing through Hays, which will benefit our city even more," Meitner said.
"Besides offering the quality of life and the accessible play space, there is an economic benefit as well."
The annual maintenance cost to the city of Hays is estimated at $8,000, according to Jeff Boyle, parks director.
