By Adam Smith

The North Jefferson News



The days are sunny, the temperatures are heating up and Gardendale’s Splash Pad is seeing a steady flood of visitors.

Though it opened in October, the city’s most popular attraction was only open for a month before closing for the winter season. The Splash Pad is located next to the Kenneth A. Clemons Athletic Complex on Fieldstown Road.

On a hot Tuesday afternoon, kids of all ages ran and played in the Splash Pad’s water features as parents and daycare teachers looked on. Gardendale Parks and Recreation Superintendent Stan Hogeland was all smiles as he watched children frolic in the park.

“We’re starting to have other cities come and look at our park,” he said. “When the economy turns, I think you’ll see more of them being built.”

He said not only are moms and dads bringing their children to the park, but it has also become a popular destination with summer youth programs at local churches.

On Tuesday, two local daycare groups had children at the park. Michele Mitchell, child care director for Gardendale Baptist Tabernacle, said the church had been using a similar facility in Cullman, but the Gardendale Splash Pad was ideal. “We plan on coming back every Tuesday,” she said. “The kids love it and I love it.”

Karen Jones of Christway Child Develop-ment Center said bringing her kids to the Splash Pad is much better for the children because the water helps keep them cool.

“It’s good for them to be outdoors, but here they don’t have the heat and they can take a break and eat,” she said. “The kids just have a fantastic time; this really makes Gardendale.”

The Splash Pad has also been a proven money maker for the city. The SouthPoint Bank pavilion at the park is available for rent at $30 for two hours. Hogeland said the pavilion is being rented about 20 times per weekend. The project was built at a cost of about $250,000.

While the Splash Pad is a huge hit with kids and parents, it’s not all fun and games for Hogeland and his staff. Currently, the parks and recreation department is keeping the facility staffed seven days a week, even though the park is closed on Monday for maintenance.

The Splash Pad uses recycled water filtered through an elaborate pump house at the facility. To meet the strict standards of the Jefferson County Health Department, water filters have to be changed on a regular basis and the facility must be kept clean and sanitary.

The Splash Pad and the adjoining Celebration Park are just two pieces of what will become a much larger recreational facility. The recently received at least $60,000 worth of field dirt from a construction project at Children’s Hospital. That dirt will eventually be graded to make room for future growth.

Though Hogeland has been involved in a variety of city projects, including the Miracle League Field, he’s consistently surprised by the Splash Pad’s popularity.

“It’s still been the most positive thing I’ve ever been associated with,” he said. “I have people tell me that this is the best thing the City of Gardendale has ever done. It’s just unbelievable.”