The Waterloo Park Board met last Wednesday and unveiled more detailed plans for a splash pad to be constructed next year at William Zimmer Memorial Park off Rogers Street.

The board approved preliminary layout plans at its May 24 meeting, but the latest documents show more detail for the actual splash pad section than the blueprints from the May meeting.

The splash pad will have water-spraying devices throughout the 70-foot-by-100-foot pad area and accompanying features. A barn and silo structure in the middle of the pad will have stairs that lead to twin slides.

Various farm animal and ag-related designs will be implemented throughout the pad. 

The splash pad will recirculate water rather than using a “flow-through” system. The water retention and circulation will conserve water but also requires the splash pad have on-site filtration equipment and showers to be used before entering the splash pad for increased sanitation.

The showers and the filtration equipment will be housed in a 65-foot-by-40-foot building near the splash pad area. 

While plans for the project are complete, stipulations from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for the $400,000 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development grant that will pay for much of  the splash pad require that construction bids and purchase of all materials must be finalized by June 2022. 

Waterloo Park District Board Member Michael Nolte said the necessary paperwork has been filed by the park district, but applications have been delayed because the Illinois Department of Public Health has a backlog of submissions and the agency is about nine months behind schedule.

Waterloo Park District Board President Kevin Hahn said he hopes the IDPH does not prevent work from proceeding, but any work that does not require IDPH approve might have to be “ready to go ahead of time,” such as completing the parking lot and other land-related work before installing the actual splash pad.   

This project is scheduled to be completed in two phases. The first phase will include building the infrastructure and basic amenities while phase two involves putting the final touches on the agriculture-themed project such as corn stalk and farm animal coverings for the water jets.

HGM Engineers of Breese has provided engineering services and help with grant submission for the complex.

Rain Drop Products of Ashland, Ohio, provided the design and layout for the splash pad. 

Members of Waterloo Citizens for a Pool responded to the layout of the splash pad with optimism that a pool could eventually be constructed nearby. 

“We had been eagerly awaiting the splash pad layout so we could move forward with the proposal presented in conjunction with Westport Pools to the park district last November, and were happy to see that the splash pad placement could allow for future expansion at Zimmer Park,” a representative of the group told the Republic-Times. 

“Once we received that layout late last month, we officially started working with a team at Westport Pools to begin the design process for future aquatic expansion options at the splash pad site. We are excited to see where this leads and hope to have many updates over the next few months.”

The Waterloo Park Board has not expressed interest in building a public pool after the Sondag City Swimming Pool at 316 N. Library Street closed several years ago following multiple failed voter referendums for pool repairs.

Girl Scout projects

The park board meeting began with an appeal from Girl Scout Troop 576 for help in collecting bottle caps for an upcoming project, also at Zimmer Park, to install a “recycled cap bench.”  

To complete this project, the troop needs about 200 pounds of plastic caps. They are asking the community to save used plastic caps with recycle numbers 2, 4 or 5. They cannot accept medicine bottle caps, fast food lids or caps with silicone lining.

The scouts will begin distributing fliers around Waterloo with more information about the project. They are asking those who can fill a bucket or bag to call 618-772-8552 and they will collect the caps.

The park board discussed the possibility of setting up collection bins at city park pavilions to help collect caps.

The troop also has plans to install a Gaga Ball pit at Zimmer Park. Gaga Ball is a game played in an enclosed octagon. There are Gaga Ball pits currently at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic School in Waterloo and Immaculate Conception School in Columbia. 

The scouts have raised over half of the approximately $2,000 needed for the project. The scouts said Waterloo Lumber Company gave the group a discount and donated some materials for the structure. The board also agreed to help install the pit when preliminary work is complete.

Other updates

Waterloo Alderman Jim Trantham, who serves as a liaison between the Waterloo City Council and park board, reported that plans are being made to expand the boat ramp area and install a parking area at Lakeview Park for the southernmost lake.

The new area will provide a safer parking option for vehicles after unloading watercraft and will prevent the gravel road to the boat ramp from becoming congested during peak boat usage at the lake.   

The matter was brought to the board’s attention by a concerned citizen who contacted officials about hazardous parking conditions at the park. 

Another development at Lakeview Park is the installation of some of the recently removed turf from the Waterloo High School athletic field that has been re-purposed for use at the Dog Park. 

The turf was put mostly at the entrances of the dog-size designated areas of the dog park, but not in the main play areas. 

Hahn said there are currently no plans to get additional turf.