Warsaw Park Board Tuesday reviewed letters and heard a concern in reference to a location for a proposed splash park in Warsaw.
The board has been discussing the possibility of a splash park and has discussed possible locations for the park.
The park board recommended Hire Park on Arthur Street where a BMX track is located as well as port-a-pots in the park's parking lot. Other locations discussed were Beyer Park, Bixler Park, Boggs Park, Kelly Park and Richardson-Dubois Park.
Kosciusko Leadership Academy graduates Jeremiah Heierman, Kathy Stutzman, Aaron Christner and Lynne Dittman made the proposal during the board's Feb. 17 meeting to the board for the splash park.
Tuesday, Heierman said the group is still in the process of getting funding and drawings, but is seeking approval for a location for the splash park.
Park Board President Bill Baldwin received two letters from concerned residents dated June 4 and 8 regarding the proposed location for the proposed splash park.
One of the letters was from Judith D. Loughran, a Pike Lake condo owner.
She wrote about her concerns with the traffic volume the splash park would create and that she feared visitors would trespass on nearby residents' properties.
She stated in the letter a National Bicycle League Series BMX nationals series event was held the beginning of June at Hire Park that created congestion on Arthur Street.
Another letter was from Carl and Joyce Billing, owners of a condo at Parkshore Place, across the street from the BMX race track. The couple requested the board consider another location for the splash park.Andi Lo Verde, Parkshore Place Homeowners Association president, spoke during the meeting about her concerns with the proposed site for the splash park.
"Our concern with the splash park is trespassers on our properties, and that we would constantly have to monitor our property as traffic would increase on Arthur Street," Verde said.
Baldwin said the board is still considering a location for the splash park, and said a special meeting will need to be held in July to vote on the parks department's budget. The splash park issue will be discussed again then.
Also during the meeting, the board approved the parks department replacing its Coca-Cola vending machines with Snapple and Dr. Pepper vending machines.
"It has been hard to service the current machines, and the Coca-Cola company has not been timely with commission payments," said Park Superintendent Jon Garber.
There are six machines near the Center Lake area, two to four machines at Pike Lake, one machine at Richardson-Dubois Park and one machine at Kelly Park.
Garber said the former Coca-Cola machines should be replaced with the Snapple and Dr. Pepper machines in July.
Also during the meeting, Baldwin introduced Staci Young, who is serving as the new parks department activities director.
She began her duties June 1 and replaced Janelle Wilson.
Allan Ross, Young Tiger Football commissioner, and Dave McCool, Young Tiger assistant commissioner, approached the board with a request to use Fribley Field July 25 for a band and concessions for a Young Tiger Football motorcycle ride to honor David Fribley.
McCool said they have not yet selected a band, but they were seeking approval from the board to have a band and concessions.
"We think adding a band and concessions might draw more riders in," McCool said.
He said there were approximately 100 riders last year and 200 riders the year before last.
The proposal is to end the ride at the field and have a live band perform for approximately an hour to two hours and sell concessions.
Garber said it needed to be taken into account that Fribley Field is in a residential area and the noise level should be considered as well as adequate parking.
Baldwin requested McCool and Ross do some homework to determine if they can book a band and when the activities would end.
Park Director Larry Plummer gave an update on new playground equipment that will be installed in Kiddieland Park on East Canal Street near Center Lake Pavilion.
Plummer said the old equipment was deteriorating and is more than 20 years old.
"It will take a month to install the equipment, and we hope to have it finished by July or August," Plummer said.
