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Want a water park?
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Anonymous user Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments For years, investors and local groups have toyed with the idea of building a water park in Bakersfield, but without much success. Despite the blazing temperatures that frequently reach triple digits during the summer in this sizzling city, the economic factors involved have often prevented the projects from coming to fruition.
Yet, a new project that seeks to build a water park in the Northwest is betting on the city’s rapid growth and recent construction developments, especially in the Southwest and Northwest to give it a better chance of becoming a reality.
The project, spearheaded by the North of the River Recreation and Park District in partnership with CNC Enterprises — a Canadian company that has built and operated water parks in Canada and U.S. — is currently looking into the feasibility of building a 15-acre water park on its property located on Rosedale Highway, west of W. Jewetta Avenue.
The feasibility study, which could take up to four months to complete, would determine the financial aspects of the project and what elements should be considered.
If everything runs smoothly, the developers don’t expect the park to be operational until the summer of 2008. District officials said they don’t have an actual figure on what it would cost to build the park, but hope to with results of the feasibility study.
Colon Bywater, planning and construction director of NOR Recreation and Park District, said NOR officials had been wanting to bring a water park to Bakersfield for a long time. Even though the district operates pools and offers swim lessons, it hoped to provide more of a recreational facility that would be strictly for aquatic entertainment, he said.
Financing was a problem and the district needed a partnership with a private sector company, Bywater added.
But about six months ago, CNC Enterprises called the district inquiring about the possibility of a partnership, Bywater said. Coincidentally, district officials had just come back from a show in Las Vegas about building water parks.
NOR district owns nearly 20 acres of land on Rosedale Highway. Bywater said that the district is considering using 15 acres of it for the water park and the rest of the land will be used as a neighborhood park.
The project, however, is in its very early stages.
CNC Enterprises officials said the feasibility study currently being conducted will analyze the social-economic factors, nearby facilities and the community’s response.
Bywater said, so far, the district has received a lot of requests from Bakersfield residents for a water park.
“We have done surveys and people who have called and asked for an aquatic park or water playground. There have been quite a few requests to provide things like that, but it’s just that is so expensive that there is really no way to fund these things, unless you find (companies) that would be able to fund it,” he said.
In any case, Bywater believes Bakersfield is ready for a water park.
“As big as we are ... Bakersfield doesn’t really have that many different leisure experiences available,” he said.
According to Bywater, there once was a water park here many years ago where Wal-Mart on White Lane now sits, but it was old and in disrepair and was removed after the property was sold.
Currently, the closest water parks are in Clovis and Fresno in Fresno County, or Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, local residents do what they can to stay cool during the hot summer days.
But of course, summer temperatures in Bakersfield can make any body of water — safe or otherwise — very tempting, something city officials have admitted.
When The Park at River Walk, located on Stockdale Highway and Buena Vista Road, first opened April 28, nearly 10,000 people were expected to attend the grand opening celebration. Many of those people could not resist the fresh water and designed of the lakes and jump in the water with clothes on; some even reportedly brought swim suits.
Still, the waterways at The Park at River Walk — including the meandering stream that runs through it as well as the two lakes — were neither designed nor intended for use as swimming/wading holes, according to City Manager Alan Tandy.
“We recognize it’s become very popular for people to enter the water at The Park at River Walk,” Tandy said. “But the city does not recommend it for such purposes.”
The water features at the popular, $10 million recreational facility are actually created with water diverted directly from the Kern River to the park, Tandy said.
“It’s untreated water right from the Kern River,” he said. “It should be treated as a natural water course.”
NEED SW RESIDENTS QUOTES HERE & HERE


But 13-year-old Chris Gowan feels that swimming at the park is somewhat justified due to the lack of safer water parks.
“We don’t have a water park. We have the water center but it’s not even a big deal, there is not much that we can do there. I think we should have a big amusement water park here,” said Chris, who was relaxing at the River Walk Park near the water Friday afternoon.
“I have concerns because the water is dirty,” he said about swimming in the lakes.
As such, Tandy said, River Walk water areas should be approached with the same type of caution as entering the river at nearby Yokuts and Beach parks.
The City of Bakersfield has taken samples of the water from six different areas in the park, including the east and west lakes — where fish are planted and may also enter the waterways naturally — and several areas in the stream as well as from river water at Yokuts park.
The tests were sent off to two different laboratories for analysis and showed “normal results,” according to a news release from City Manager’s office.
The results also showed that the water is “within the criteria followed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for recreational waters,” the release stated.
Even so, caution continues to be advised.
“People should use their own judgment when entering a natural, untreated body of water,” the release stated.
For now, the possibility of future warning signs at The Park at River Walk remains open, Tandy said.
“Signage is currently under legal review,” he said. “But, we don’t post signs at other areas of the river at this time.”
As for relieving people’s need for cool dips in tempting River Walk waters, Tandy is not so sure the NOR’s proposed water park plan is necessarily the answer.
“I think you’ve got a situation that when it’s 108 degrees and there’s a water park 5 miles away with a cost, well, you’re going to go for the cool water where you are at the time,” Tandy said.
Bywater, who is aware of the issues facing the Park at River Walk, feels that building a water park would benefit the community and perhaps solve some of the issues about people swimming in unsafe bodies of water.
“At least it would give you an activity that is specifically planned for water activity. Our park would be designed specifically with the health of the customers in mind,” he said.
If the park becomes a reality, it will meet health codes and regulations established for water parks, such as treated and filtered water and lifeguards.

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