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South Gate resident asks Parks Commission to add splash pad discussion to next agenda
Summary
A South Gate resident urged the Parks and Recreation Commission to add a splash pad at Southgate Park to the next agenda, citing examples and preliminary cost estimates and asking the commission to pursue planning funds or grant applications.
Mario Dominguez, a South Gate resident, asked the Parks and Recreation Commission on Feb. 13 to place a splash pad for Southgate Park on the commission’s next agenda so commissioners could “have a discussion and debate whether or not to move forward with it as a project.”
Dominguez told commissioners several neighboring cities already have splash pads and gave examples he said he had confirmed: Bell to the north, Huntington Park to the west, Paramount to the south and Whittier to the east. He described a conversation he said he had with Jose Trejo, deputy director of parks in Lynwood, who told him Lynwood planned to finish plans and designs in spring 2025 and intended to use Measure A funds. Dominguez also said the county's Regional Park and Open Space District will open a competitive grants round in spring 2025.
Dominguez provided cost figures he said he had gathered from other cities and staff he spoke with. He quoted Onig Balakanian, described as a director in Glendale, saying the equipment for a 1,500-square-foot splash pad costs about $600,000; Dominguez used that figure to estimate a 3,000-square-foot pad could cost roughly $1.2 million and said $2 million would cover the deliverables and additional features such as fencing and an outdoor shower. "With $2,000,000, we could fund the hell out of this, get the splash pad done," he said.
Commissioners later indicated they would discuss the splash pad idea at a future meeting and staff and commissioners proposed collecting community input, including surveys, before pursuing large-scale planning. The commission’s formal agenda process was explained during public comment; staff said items not posted on the agenda cannot be debated or decided at the meeting but can be heard and later placed on a future agenda if requested.
Why it matters: a splash pad would be a capital project requiring design, funding and possibly public hearings; Dominguez urged commissioners to consider grant opportunities and Measure A funds and to put the item before the commission so residents can weigh in.
What’s next: commissioners agreed to include community surveying and to discuss the splash pad at a subsequent meeting as part of future-agenda requests.
