GALT, CA (MPG) - A splash pad topped the list of requests in a needs assessment survey of Galt parks and recreation services discussed at the city’s Parks and Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, March 12. 

In early 2024, the council approved a contract with RHAA Landscape Architecture and Planning to conduct a needs assessment of the Galt parks and recreation system that included several surveys, meetings and community workshops to determine desires for the local community park system. 

A splash pad, otherwise known as a spray pool, is a recreational area for water play that has little to no standing water. The area typically has pole-like infrastructure that sprays water onto users. 

Parks and Recreation Director Armando Solis said the amenity has been a top request from the community prior to the assessment, so he wasn’t surprised by Tuesday’s findings.  

“That is probably one of the No. 1 asks,” Solis said. “But one of our biggest problems here is the maintenance. Listening to other cities and districts, the maintenance is just a horror story. Especially here in Galt with the hard water that we have. I just see it being a big issue.”

Solis said if the request does make it in front of the council, it will be accompanied by an economic assessment on the cost to maintain the amenity. 

“It’s not just $80,000 to put in a splash pad,” Solis said. “Well, you also have to have $40,000 a year as long as you have that to maintain it.”

The splash pad was just one of the many requests made by Galt residents. 

Some of the identified needs included addressing potential safety concerns, improvements to bathrooms, increased cleanliness and faster response to vandalism. Respondents also expressed a desire for updated equipment and facilities that can accommodate larger gatherings. 

Community members also requested more ADA-compliant features and universally accessible playgrounds, more shade, and more programs for teenagers and seniors. 

According to the survey, 52 percent of respondents desired the city to renovate and update existing parks compared to adding new ones. 

Senior citizens expressed a need for more water aerobics. They also noted difficulties navigating parks due to large distances between parking, restrooms and amenities, as well as a desire to extend pool hours and swimming season for public use.

Solis said a request for more field space is being solved in part by the addition of Simmerhorn Park. 

“We have kind of designed that park to kind of fit the stuff that residents want,” Solis said. 

The council will decide how to fund the projects, but Solis noted that Measure Q, a one-cent sales tax intended to fund a number of quality-of-life projects, will like make up most, if not all of the funding. 

RHAA will return to the Parks Advisory Committee at a later date to discuss parks and facilities recommendations. 

“This is going to give them a roadmap of what the priorities are,” Solis said, “what our residents want. But there are a lot of higher priorities that people won’t notice, like restrooms being replaced…we’ll have to balance the needs and the wants.”