West Point reviews river park concepts
Published 12:00 am Saturday, July 11, 2015
WEST POINT — Plans are taking shape for the planned Downtown River Park.
City Council members during a work session Thursday reviewed concept drawings for the park, which focused on the implementation of a splash pad. Council members also discussed a bid for construction of the splash pad submitted by Aqua Dynamics Inc. based in Jonesboro.
The concept drawings show the splash pad being placed next to a walkway near the Chattahoochee River. The walkway will extend around the circumference of the park and officials plan to include park benches for seating along the edge of the walking path.
“We will leave the existing ramp open for people to put kayaks and canoes into the river,” said City Manager Ed Moon.
Aqua Dynamics specializes in the construction and installation of fountains and various kinds of water features. According to the bid, the splash pad will cost $75,325 to build and install the fountain components that accompany the design.
Funds for the construction of the Downtown River Park were donated from Hyundai Dymos.
The splash pad will not only be intended for people to cool down during hot summer days, it will also be equipped with a lighting system that will accompany the water jets.
According to the bid, the splash pad will require 400 square feet of concrete surface, while the surrounding perimeter walk will require 500 square feet, which will create a 900 square foot splash pad for residents.
“A splash pad has been a topic of discussion among people in our community for a while now,” said Mayor Drew Ferguson. “Something like that would be a great attraction for our people to come and enjoy.”
The splash pad will contain nine directional water jets that will expel about 22.5 gallons of water per minute. It will also include two larger ground geysers that will produce 18 gallons per minute. The addition will have 12 LED lights installed inside the splash pad, which will emit different color lighting at various intervals. The total output of water for the entire splash pad is estimated to be 40.5 gallons per minute.
City officials plan to renovate the old fire station in order to accommodate for public restrooms and shelter.