Closure of a popular place for kids to cool off in the summer has pressure building to get a new facility in place soon.
The Polson Park spray park is being demolished due to flooding in the park which needs to be addressed and the fact that the park isn’t in compliance with Interior Health regulations.
But it’s unknown if a replacement will be built in time for when the mercury rises, as a new park would be two to three years away.
The City of Vernon does have existing plans to build a spray park at Lakeview Park, with the replacement of the peanut pool. But the nearly $2.6-million project is dependant on a grant application, which is still under consideration.
READ MORE: Cost of Vernon’s peanut pool upgrade up $500K
Disappointed to see the spray park being closed, Coun. Scott Anderson wants to see something in place for families by June.
“In July and August and sometimes June, people are fed up, hot, and the lakes are less than clean,” Anderson said at the Feb. 22 council meeting.
The existing spray park is built on rubberized material which is not in compliance with the health authority and there is a bio-film building on the surface.
“We also have sinkholes that are appearing underneath the rubberized materials,” Vernon’s long-range planning and sustainability manager Laurie Cordell said.
Polson Park has been plagued with flooding issues since 2017, which has not only impacted the spray park but the playground and other areas.
The city is conducting a stream naturalization feasibility study to address the issues. The study has an estimated $75,000 price tag but the city is applying for a $30,000 Okanagan Basin Water Board Grant.
READ MORE: Flooding closes Polson Park in Vernon
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