There were quite a few children waiting in anticipation last week as the count down to the opening of the new Smithville splash pad was underway. City officials joined the Chamber of Commerce, and parents and their kids at Greenbrook Park last Friday as a ribbon cutting was held for the new attraction.

Shortly afterwards, the splash pad shot to life and the children quickly took advantage of some summertime fun.

“It’s a very exciting day for Smithville,” Mayor Josh Miller said. “I want to thank the city council for funding this project. I think we have some more things in the budget, about $50,000, to start fixing up the playground equipment. I think this will be a great asset and something good for the kids to have to enjoy for years to come.”

“I also want to thank our public works department,” Miller continued. “They have put a lot of time into this project especially Public Works Director Kevin Robinson and City Administrator Hunter Hendrixson. We did not use an architect with this, so we saved money and there was a lot of time put into this by our administration going over plans. We are proud of it.”

Construction of the 2,400 square foot splash pad began in March, 2022, after Recreational Concepts won the bid for the project in November 2021. Smithville approved a budget amendment authorizing an expenditure of up to $173,000 for the project, which were from the city’s unreserved fund balance.

“It has a lot of beautiful above ground features for kids to run through, and things that spray and splash along with in-ground features that spray out of the ground. It’s a nice mix for all age groups and abilities. It will fill up the space really well especially with the playground and gazebos. It’s going to be a nice addition to the park. We’re looking forward to getting started,” Jason Stewart and Adam Walton of Recreational Concepts explained.

“It’s about 2,400 square feet and has a five-foot apron around the pad, that is essentially a dry deck where no water flows, and on the inside on the splash pad itself there are above grade and embedded features that spray upward providing an experience for different age groups and ability levels. There are about 28 different features on the pad itself,” Stewart said.

The splash pad is open seven days a week from 12 noon until 7 p.m.