Commission weighs repairs, TDC funding and master plan for Lakeside Pier Park and Splash Park

City staff told the City Commission on April 1 that Splash Park at Lakeside Pier Park needs repair and maintenance now even though a county-led master plan for the pier area is under way and construction funding is not yet available.

Parks and public-works staff described the splash-park system and playground history and said the splash features were built in 2008 with a Firdac grant. Staff said the city budget includes $70,000 this fiscal year for Splash Park renovations; staff recommended buying replacement pumps and parts now so the facility remains operational while a county master plan and a potential, longer-term redesign are worked through. "We still need to purchase the pumps, the splash features, the coronators, and some of the other internal features to kind of keep the park moving," Parks and Recreation staff said during the meeting.

Russell (city staff) told commissioners the park’s playground equipment had experienced failures and was removed for safety, and he proposed reallocating roughly $14,000 from the Splash Park line to begin a 20-foot section of retaining wall at Lakeside Pier Park where erosion and decayed pilings were visible in staff photos. The full boardwalk replacement, he said, could run in the hundreds of thousands; staff estimated a 70-foot replacement could be in the $250,000–$340,000 range depending on materials and pilings.

Ryan Kane, Director of Parks and Recreation for St. Johns County, described the county’s Pier Park master-plan process. Kane said the county funded a master plan last year with TDT (tourist development tax) dollars and that design work is just starting following a kickoff meeting. "I don't think you would see funding for construction in the next 2 years," Kane said, adding that his professional judgment puts construction nearer a five-year timeframe, and that the process will include "a lot of public engagement."

Commissioners expressed support for maintaining Splash Park now, but they were divided about transferring money to Lakeside without a broader design and funding plan. Some commissioners favored removing or closing the deteriorated section of boardwalk now to eliminate a safety and liability risk; others favored pursuing a formal master plan and community visioning for Lakeside before committing significant capital. A series of steps were discussed and directed to staff: pursue TDC funding for splash-park renovations and playground replacement, put a priority on buying key parts (pumps, valves), analyze options for either removing the closed southern section of boardwalk or funding incremental repairs, and gather community feedback through surveys, workshops and outreach at upcoming events.

Commissioners agreed staff can seek TDC funding and talk with the county about repurposing playground equipment if the county’s broader Pier Park project moves forward. Staff said CPAC and public-works staff have explored native plantings and bank stabilization as lower-cost erosion mitigation measures, but the retaining wall concept would be a longer-lived structural fix. Staff also proposed bringing community outreach to planned events (farmer’s market, concerts) and the commission room for a public meeting tied to the county master plan when the county schedules it (staff indicated a likely public meeting window in September–October 2025).

No final appropriation to Lakeside was approved at the meeting; motions centered on direction to pursue funding and do limited, safety-focused repairs now. Commissioners asked staff to report back after outreach and to evaluate whether an in-house demo to remove the unsafe boardwalk end would be feasible and cost-effective. Staff estimated that an in-house removal would be substantially less expensive than contracting full replacement and noted that the south end of the boardwalk was already closed for safety.