With planning and design complete, Sparta will soon begin construction on a new splash pad.
Sparta Mayor Jerry Lowery said the city recently received permits from TDEC to construct the splash pad. Lowery said it took about a year for the city to obtain the permit and that many people were doubting that a splash pad would be built.
“I’m not blaming it all on the state permitting system,” Lowery said. “Some of it was our design team, and some of it was the city looking and sending back and forth. So I can’t blame all the delays on that, but we want to get it right and do it right, and so we probably took a little more time than we needed at times on certain aspects of it.”
City Administrator Tonya Tindle said the administration will bring design photos to the next Aldermen meeting for final approval. Lowery said the next step will be the underground bids.
“As soon as we get the pipe in, we are gonna start digging that trench out, and we are gonna dig a new storm drain all the way under it so we won’t have to do it once we have the playground in place,” Lowery said. “So we are gonna get that underground stuff done quickly.”
Lowery said people in Sparta have been asking for something that kids can do. Lowery said he believes the splash pad will have a huge impact on the community.
“I think that this is gonna be a good addition to the city of Sparta and White County as well,” Lowery said. “I think that parents will use it a lot, and I just think people are gonna come in and they’ll be buying food at our fast foods, they’ll be partaking a the splash pad, and I think it’s gonna be a great thing for people once we get it opened up.”
The splash pad will be constructed behind the YMCA.
