Town hall set for possible water park

A proposed water recreation facility for Clarendon will be the subject of a town hall meeting scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m. at the Bairfield Activity Center.

Public feedback will be sought on the project, and officials will provide information on the opportunity now before the community. An anonymous donor contacted the city in July with the offer of a $500,000 challenge grant for the project.

The steering committee tasked with guiding fundraising and making recommendations for the project to city council met last Wednesday, September 16, at Clarendon College.

City Alderman Sandy Skelton was elected to chair the group of 13 men and women. Donley County Judge John Howard was named the vice chairman, and Clarendon EDC Secretary Roger Estlack was named secretary/treasurer.

Skelton and City Administrator David Dockery discussed the background of the project to this point and the extensive research that has been done of other communities with pools or water parks.

Dockery said the project really needs a total of $1.5 million to get started. That’s about what the City of Albany spent on a water recreation project two years ago. Wellington’s new water park that opened this June cost $3.2 million and was largely paid for by one benefactor.

Dockery and CEDC Director Jack King are both ex-officio members of the steering committee.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a possible source for grant funding for the project, with the City of Wheeler recently getting $400,000 for a pool project in that city. City Hall is already working with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission to take the needed steps to apply for a TPWD grant.

In addition to fundraising questions, the committee is charged with suggesting a site for the project. One possible location is at Fourth and Kearney east of the Post Office. The area has the benefit of already being city owned and being connected to the city’s park by a lighted walking path. This site has not be finalized, but a connection to the park is critical for a successful TPWD grant.

The committee must also consider the size and scope of the project – whether it is a nice pool with slides or a larger water park with many features – as well as considering the sustainability of the project and how it can pay for its own operating expenses moving forward.

Committed members discussed last week the possibility of the project being more of a year-round facility that can be used by all ages. This would add to the cost of the project but could make Clarendon’s facility unique from those of other communities.

The committee will solicit feedback and ideas from the community at next month’s town hall. Upcoming decisions will be the selection of a fundraising chair and a possible fundraising subcommittee for the project.

For more information about the project, contact David Dockery at City Hall at 806-874-3438.