Brownwood News – Preparations for a new splash pad are underway at Alcorn Park in Brownwood. City employees were on site Wednesday morning removing a few trees and leveling the ground for concrete contractors to begin work in the near future. The splash pad will be located near the tennis courts.

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In May, the Brownwood City Council approved an agreement with Vortex for the design and construction of three splash pads using funds from the 2016 Certificate of Obligation (CO). The council considered the addition of splash pads after hearing complaints from citizens regarding a lack of activities for children in the area.

Addressing those concerns, the council began to plan the installation of three splash pads in three different parks throughout the city, each near elementary schools. The dates of operation for the splash pads are expected to be May 1 – September 30, but could be extended dependent on warm weather.

“The reason we planned those locations is because they were highly visible, highly accessible for the community,” explained Brownwood City Manager Emily Crawford.

The new splash pads will be installed at Trigg, Mayes, and Alcorn Parks. The “Oasis” design is proposed for Mays Park, as it is compatible with the skate park. It can be ridden on by skate boards and bikes. Trigg Park, near Northwest Elementary, is proposed to be Oasis as well, as there will be additional investment spent on this park to build a restroom facility. The Oasis design for those parks will be 2,000 sq. ft. with 20 water features and no above ground equipment.

The “Watergarden” design is proposed for Alcorn Park, with 2,500 sq. ft. and 17 above ground water features.

“This provides our kids with an option that’s free of charge, it provides them a neighborhood environment that they’re used to, and our families need that,” said Mayor Stephen Haynes. “Our families make sacrifices to pay taxes and they need to get some value back.”