The Village of Salisbury’s goal is to have the Highland Park Splash Pad operational in July. It is also hoped that construction of a new Highland Park Washroom (which includes the splash pad mechanical room) will begin this Fall. There are some issues that must be resolved first.
The splash pad has been crippled by water supply issues since late 2020 when it was discovered that two wells supplying the splash pad had failed. Repairs to these wells were not possible. This required the drilling of two new wells in 2021 with the intention that they would supply water to both a new restroom/mechanical building and the splash pad.
However, because the connection of the new wells is linked with the restroom project, any use of the splash pad in the interim period would depend on a third well on site. This third well is a very old well that actually predates the splash pad. The hope is that this older well can be used to supply water to the splash pad in the short term.
Meantime, while preparing for this it was also discovered that there are now mechanical issues with the splash pad control panel that must be repaired, for which steps are currently being taken. Again, the hope is that the splash pad can be operational this Summer.
An update on the restroom project:
The intention was to replace the Highland Park restroom in the Fall of 2021 with a new building that would contain improved washroom facilities and an equipment room for the splash pad. The goal is to have a wheelchair accessible washroom capable of being open year-round which, to this point, has not been possible due to the existing building being unheated and uninsulated.
However, the public tendering process in 2021 for this new restroom project revealed an excessive increase in cost estimates. In fact, all four bids received for this project exceeded the project budget by a range of 50.62 per cent to 83.47 per cent. This is due to the volatility in the construction industry caused in large part by shortages in both materials and labour. Therefore, the restroom project was put on hold in 2021 and is being pursued again this year with an adjusted scope hoping for more acceptable costs.
We thank you for your continued patience and understanding.