ANSONIA – The sidewalks leading to the $312,000 splash pad at the Nolan Field complex on Wakelee Avenue are scheduled to be created this week, a signal the long-awaited amenity is almost here, according to Mayor David Cassetti.
If all goes as plans, the city is eyeing a June 15 opening date for the splash pad, the mayor told The Valley Indy last week.
“I want feel-good events and programs here in Ansonia for all our residents and even for residents outside the city,” Cassetti said.
A splash pad is a variation on the old sprinkler in a yard tradition. It’s a simple place for kids to cool off on hot summer days. They’ve become increasingly popular in the U.S., especially in cities.
According to the market-research website Statista, Boston has the most splash pads in the U.S. per capita, with 12 for every 100,000 people. The only splash pad locally is at the Boys & Girls Club in Shelton. That splash pad is available to rent.
The Ansonia project will be the first government-funded splash pad in the lower Naugatuck Valley and will be open to all, Cassetti said.
Ansonia moms and dads on social media have been clamoring for a splash pad for awhile.
It was supposed to open in September 2022. However, the Cassetti administration said they had trouble finding contractors to do the work. The site prep was completed last year, and the city has the equipment to install.
The splash pad cost estimates from the administration have changed over the last year or so.
In November 2021, Cassetti estimated the splash pad would cost between $100,000 and $125,000. At the time, the mayor said the city was putting aside $300,000 in American Rescue Plan money to pay for the splash pad, along with renovations to nearby basketball courts, tennis courts, and a playground.
Last week Ansonia Chief Financial Officer Kurt Miller said the splash pad, plus the playground improvements, would cost about $480,000 – with the playground comprising about 35 percent of the $480,000.
That math translates to a splash pad cost of roughly $312,000. There’s about $168,000 left for the playground improvements.
The improvements to the basketball and tennis courts have been dropped from the project, but could move forward in the future, Sheila O’Malley, the city’s economic development director, said on Monday.
The money is public money – but it’s not directly from the Ansonia city budget. The city still intends to use federal aid released during the COVID-19 pandemic to pay for the project, which is allowed, administration officials said.
The roughly 33 feet long and 43 feet wide splash pad will have a firefighter theme, with decals representing each of Ansonia’s five fire companies – Charters Hose Co., Eagle Hose Co., Fountain Hose Co., Hilltop Hose Co. and Webster Hose Co. It will have various fire hydrants, archways, dump buckets and other features shooting water out for kids to run through.
Electrician Ray Sadlik, a member of Derby’s Planning and Zoning Commission, is the general contractor for the project.
O’Malley said the project took longer to get off the ground because finding someone to install a splash pad proved to be a bit challenging.
“It’s a specialty, like installing a pool, and you have to find someone with the experience and knowledge, so it’s done properly,” O’Malley said.
O’Malley said Sadlik did all the electrical work and will be responsible for installing the splash pad equipment, which the city ordered from Ohio-based company My Splash Pad.
Frank Pepe Construction, of Derby, installed the conduits for water and sewer to the site, removed old playground equipment and dug out the trench for the splash pad, O’Malley said.
Architects Tate and Associates, of Fairfield, worked with the city in coming up with the custom, firefighter-themed design.
The hours of operation for the splash pad have yet to be determined, O’Malley said. The city’s Public Works Department will be responsible for maintenance and upkeep.
