A new splash pad is taking shape the Briggs Pool in Oneonta’s Wilber Park, with The Future for Oneonta Foundation securing $430,000 for the project.
FOF Chairperson Gary Herzig announced during the Tuesday, April 21 Common Council meeting that the foundation had acquired the funds for the splash pad through community donations. FOF, founded in 1982, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit aimed at making improvements to the quality of life of people living in the community, both in the town and the city.
Herzig said the the kiddie pool has been underutilized since the COVID-19 pandemic and also is in constant need of repair. There have been requests to convert that area to a splash pad, but the city’s finances would not allow for the project to take place, which totals close to $500,000, Herzig said.
He said that at this point, the foundation has raised enough to cover the entire cost of purchasing the installation of the splash pad.
“We did this by bringing the entire community together,” former city mayor Herzig said. Nearly 100 local people have made donations to the project, he added.
This was made possible with the help of some community donors as well, Herzig said, like Brian Wright, a supporter of the YMCA.
He said because FOF was successful in bringing the community together for the project and demonstrating its widespread support, it was awarded $100,000 through the Empire State Development Non-Profit Capital Grant in 2024.
“While it is exciting to be able to say we are ready to move forward with the splash pad project for the people of the city, it is even more exciting to be able to say that I hope that this serves as a model for how we can get things done in the community,” Herzig said.
FOF works as a medium to bring people together for these contributions, Herzig said. He said he is excited to offer the splash pad as a gift to the people of the city and moving forward, is confident that the city and the Oneonta Family YMCA will ensure installation takes place and can be ready for use this summer.
Next steps
The splash pad would include buckets that pour out water and sprinkler-style features for people to splash around in and cool off, a rendering of the design showed.
Mayor Dan Buttermann said Tuesday that there would likely be a motion put forward at the next council meeting to determine how to logistically pursue the installation of the splash pad.
“Kudos for really championing this and seeing it through,” said Kaytee Lipari Shue, D-Fourth Ward. “It is going to be huge for our community, for our families and young kids. It is more accessible. I am really excited about that.”
Carolyn Marks, D-Seventh Ward, asked if there would be a particular theme for the splash pad. Herzig asked if the Parks and Recreation Commission could weigh in. Scott Harrington, R-Fifth Ward, asked how much this would cost the city to maintain. Herzig said if he had to guess, it would not cost much more than it did to maintain the kiddie pool.
It would be operated as part of the pool within the fenced area, open standard pool hours. There would be no age limit for using the splash pad.
City Administrator Greg Mattice said the demolition of the existing structure would be done by the city’s Department of Public Works crew and would not incur costs. He said there will be some other costs DPW will incur for the new water service and sewer line.
“We’ll talk more, as the mayor mentioned, at the next meeting with some concrete numbers and actions for the council,” Mattice said.
Oneonta Family YMCA executive director Frank Russo presented the project details to the Finance and Human Resources Committee July 11, 2024, according to Daily Star archives. Mattice said at the time that the splash pad would require less maintenance than the small pool.
The FOF website stated that Otsego County attracts more than 600,000 annual visitors, with the splash pad potentially growing “Oneonta’s appeal as a family-friendly destination.” It added that 16% of Oneonta’s population lives below the poverty line, and the project addresses a gap in access to recreational spaces.
“I think this could be a model of partnerships that can make the community better for everyone involved and for everyone who lives here,” Buttermann said.