Officials in Peachtree City are planning to take a close look at a possible transformation of the Glenloch Pool into what recreation administrator Cajen Rhodes called a “spray park.”
The pool has seen declining revenues the past few years, most recently bringing in only one-third of the cost of its upkeep, Rhodes reported at the June 18 meeting of the City Council.
With the help of a Peachtree City resident whose company builds such facilities, Rhodes presented several renderings that show what a spray park would look like on the same footprint currently occupied by the pool.
Instead of a pool, the space would contain a number of water-related features for children to run and play among. It would not require a lifeguard, but a trained attendant would be needed at the site during operating hours to monitor the water operation, which uses chlorine just like a traditional pool.
A similar operation called the Splash Pad opened a year ago in the Henry County city of Hampton and has done brisk business.
Rhodes did not advocate during his presentation for the development of a spray park but instead asked that a committee be formed to study the issue. That committee would include Rhodes, a programs manager, a member of the city’s Recreation Advisory Board, and several city residents.
The committee would be charged with determining if the spray park would be a popular feature in the community as well as its ideal location for maximum accessibility. The study would also cover the question of sustainability through user fees and determine realistic operating expenses, with the goal of reporting findings to the City Council at an as-yet-undetermined date.
The Glenloch pool has seen a drop in users from 2,470 in 2012 to 1,826 in 2014. Revenue during that same time has fallen from $6,773 to $6,166.
That number is in stark contrast to the $18,090 allocated for the pool each year through the city’s contract with USA Pools. The total annual contract is $245,780 with $221,690 of that going toward the Kedron pools and $6,000 for the fountain.
Rhodes focused on the financial shortfall when summing up his presentation, saying that staff has worked with the pool company to reduce the contract as well as operational expenses.
