Burr Ridge Park District abandons Harvester splash pad

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Updated: September 19, 2011 12:25AM

The Burr Ridge Park District has doused its plan to build a splash pad at Harvester Park, but Director Jim Pacanowski said improvements are in store for the playground there.

“That area needs to be renovated,” Pacanowski said, but that renovation won’t include a splash pad.

Pacanowski said operating and maintenance costs were the deciding factor in abandoning the splash pad plan.

“We were looking at anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000 a year,” he said.

He said the park definitely needs a water element, and he’ll ask the Park Board to consider fountains and other aquatic features that will cost less to operate. He expects plans for Harvester Park to be at the top of the list when park commissioners begin work on the district’s new master plan in the coming months.

Pacanowski said the sand area at Harvester Park is in need of a water supply. Children routinely access a nearby water fountain not just for sips of water, but for water with which to build sand castles.

“The water fountain is constantly clogged with sand,” Pacanowski said. “It’s amazing how popular the sand area is. It’s always mobbed with kids.”

A water element also would help keep park visitors cool.

Jamie Janusz, park district liaison to the Burr Ridge Community Park Foundation, said the foundation board will meet Aug. 4 to decide how the $9,000 it raised toward the Harvester splash pad will be used. The money was raised through a fashion show and luncheon held in May.

The foundation raises money for capital improvements within the park district and has also established a scholarship program to help people in need afford park district programs.