Town shows conceptual plan for splash pad, recommends soil testing before design

Town staff presented a conceptual site plan to locate a splash pad near the old maintenance building adjacent to the library and discussed preliminary infrastructure needs, potential parking and next steps.

The plan shows a splash pad with a toddler area placed farthest from the roadway, a dedicated parking lot repurposed from space behind an old maintenance building, and direct bathroom access from the splash-pad area through back doors into the maintenance building. The presenter said water service and an RPZ (reduced-pressure-zone backflow preventer) would be located inside the maintenance building to protect the equipment from weather.

“You’ll see a couple sidewalk locations, connections. There we've investigated, and it's doable,” the presenter said. He also noted the site was previously used as an ice rink and that an electrical line had been placed through the old rink and punctured an underlying bladder, so subsurface conditions are not virgin ground. “We're probably gonna need to do some soil testing as far as low capacities and things like that before we spend this huge amount of money on putting concrete on bad ground,” the presenter said.

Members favored the layout’s dedicated parking and attached restrooms as a way to manage crowds and avoid standalone restroom construction. Staff said the next major step is targeted soil testing to confirm bearing capacity before finalizing concrete and drainage designs and before applying for any construction grants.

No formal decision or appropriation was made; staff will return with soil-test results and refined cost estimates for board review.