City of Columbia officials on June 2 approved an updated master plan and legislation authorizing improvements at Twin Lakes Recreation Area, including replacement of a 23-year-old playground, shelter renovations, major parking repairs and an expansion of the dog park into the former Little Maids Cove aquatic facility.

Gabe Huffington, the city’s parks and recreation director, said the park at 2500 Chapel Hill Road is a 73.3-acre facility in the Fourth Ward and that staff has $350,000 in park sales tax funding allocated to the project. Huffington described proposed work ranging from a roof and siding replacement for the park’s largest shelter, LED lighting and electrical upgrades, to a mill-and-overlay of the parking lot and new angled parking to control traffic flow.

The council’s action updates the park master plan and authorizes staff to proceed with specifications, bidding and a combination of contracted and city-staff work. Council bill 1 17 25 passed on second reading with an affirmative roll call.

Why it matters: The package remakes a heavily used dog park area, addresses accessibility and safety concerns cited by residents, and removes a long-closed aquatic facility that staff says would require major, costly repairs to reopen. The vote clears the way for short-term construction steps and for the city to plan future aquatic amenities for the south side of Columbia.

Most important elements

• Dog park expansion and Little Maids Cove: Huffington told council the plan would expand the dog park by roughly 5 acres into the site of Little Maids Cove, which has been closed since the 2019 pool season and “presents some significant pool leaks” that staff estimates would cost at least “over a half a million dollars, if not more” to repair. The expansion would create year-round dog-park space, move some activity closer to the parking lot to increase daily patron presence and reduce vehicle break-in risk, and allow removal or renovation of older buildings in the Cove area.

• Playground, shelter and accessibility improvements: The existing playground is 23 years old; staff proposes replacing it in the same location with equipment purchased last year, adding accessible walkways from the parking lot to the playground and shelter, and replacing shelter siding with cement board for longevity as well as upgrading lighting and water fountains.

• Parking and circulation changes: The plan calls for a mill-and-overlay of the main asphalt surface and reconfiguring to angled parking to create one-direction traffic flow and clearer bicycle routing using green striping and arrows to reduce conflicts between cyclists and vehicles and improve safety for trail connections to the County House Trail and the MKT Trail.

• Bathhouse, buildings and shoreline work: Staff recommended removing or repurposing several older service buildings and evaluating whether to keep renovated exterior restrooms; shoreline stabilization work would also be done where dogs access the lake.

• Future splash pad and aquatic planning: Because reopening Little Maids Cove as a pool would require extensive plumbing and filtration replacement, staff proposed reserving space in the updated plan for a potential future splash pad adjacent to the playground and shelter. Huffington provided a planning estimate of roughly $750,000 to $1,000,000 for a splash-pad installation depending on features; he said splash pads are free to the public, reduce staffing need because lifeguards are not required, and allow longer seasonal hours (May 1–Sept. 30 under current city practice).

Public input and council questions

The council held a public hearing before the vote. Regular users of the Twin Lakes dog parks and nearby residents urged approval, citing accessibility for seniors, shade, and safety concerns related to vehicle break-ins. Regina Shelton, a Fourth Ward resident and daily dog-park user, told the council the plan “covered very well the concerns that the public had laid out,” especially accessibility and safety. Another frequent user described recurring algae in the lake and winter crowding when lake access is closed, and urged expansion.

Councilmembers asked staff to confirm which project elements changed in response to public input. Huffington said the plan increased shade, extended walkways for accessibility, addressed trail connectivity concerns where feasible, and emphasized parking-lot direction and safety. He acknowledged limits: building a continuous trail through certain riparian areas is constrained by proximity to Hinkson Creek, so staff favors routing vehicular traffic to flow with bike traffic and using markings to clarify direction.

Costs, schedule and funding

Staff said $350,000 in park sales tax funds are currently available for elements of this project. Huffington estimated significant repairs to Little Maids Cove would exceed $500,000; the splash-pad concept is budgeted in preliminary terms at $750,000 to $1,000,000. He said the city will consider funding for new aquatic facilities in an upcoming update to the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Master Plan and by the city’s park sales-tax renewal process anticipated in 2031.

Huffington outlined a phased schedule: playground work could begin this fall; shelter renovations would occur the following spring; staff estimated the full project timeline could extend into 2027, with notifications to park users about temporary closures and reservation impacts.

Decision and next steps

Council passed council bill 1 17 25 on second reading; roll call recorded affirmative votes for Mister Waterman, Miss Peters, Miss Buffalo, Miss Carroll and Mister Foster. Staff will proceed with bid documents, prioritize construction sequencing to minimize user disruption, return with additional renovation plans for other pools (including Albert Oakland Family Aquatic Center) and include aquatic facility planning in the 2027 parks master-plan update.

Supporters at the hearing urged quicker shade and accessibility work; opponents did not speak at the hearing on the master plan. Staff said it had engaged park users with on-site meetings last summer and an online comment period, and that the Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the plan in April.

The council’s approval authorizes the city manager to execute needed documents and requires compliance with prevailing wage requirements and state construction-safety training for applicable work.

What to watch next: staff returning later this year with construction timelines and closures, the 2027 parks master-plan update that will prioritize aquatic facilities for the south side of Columbia, and funding proposals tied to the 2031 park sales-tax renewal.