Hartsville officials consider splash park at Byerly Park
By JIM FAILE
Could a splash park be in Hartsville’s future?
City officials are looking into that possibility.
Hartsville Parks Committee Chairman Nancy McGee told Hartsville City Council Tuesday that the committee and city staff members that work with it are recommending that council consider building a splash park or splash pad, a water park play area that normally does not have standing water.
Typically, such parks consist of splash pads that use nozzles to spray water upward or showers to spray it downward.
Officials are looking into various options for such a facility that could be as big as 5,180 square feet and feature a variety of water play attractions for Byerly Park, said City Manager Natalie Zeigler. The facility would not include a swimming pool, however, officials said.
Zeigler said she is in the process of gathering information on various types of splash parks from other communities as well as cost estimates.
She outlined several possible options for a park. Three options could actually be a single project built in three phases, she said. She provided cost figures for each phase totaling an estimated $1,367,997.
Another option that could be based on a pirate theme with a name like Piratesville, she said. That concept came with an estimated cost of $661,726.
Those figures do not include grading or other site preparation work, upgrades to restrooms, fencing, tables or chairs, she said.
Funding from the city’s hospitality tax fund could be used to help pay for such a project, Zeigler said. That money can be used for tourism-related projects, including certain recreational projects, she said.
According to figures provided by Zeigler, the fund has a current balance of $978,361, with $550,000 of that reserved and $428,361 unreserved.
Officials are considering a general obligation bond for several capital projects and plan to look into the possibility of including a splash park in it as well, Zeigler said.
Council looked into the possibility of a splash park at Byerly Park several years ago, but the idea got nowhere at the time.
Mayor Mel Pennington has mentioned it more recently.
Zeigler said a splash park at Byerly Park could help draw more people to the park in the summer months when sports tournaments are played there.
McGee said the parks committee believes it would help boost the city’s economy by drawing more people to the park and into the city for shopping and dining.