Costs sink Cameron Park splash pad project

Jana Rossi Staff writer

A very full Cameron Park Community Services District Board of Directors meeting adjourned after nearly four hours with the board establishing changes that will impact activities at Cameron Park Lake.

A record number of Cameron Park residents attended the March 28 meeting, with the intention of making themselves heard on two controversial topics.

Splash pad a no-go

A splash pad proposed in place of the Cameron Park Lake swimming lagoon has been met with mixed reception. Construction cost has swelled to $1.6 million, double the original projected amount when the splash pad was approved in 2020. Projected annual operations costs are at least $16,000 plus $1,000 in annual repairs. The plan was to use Proposition 68 funds totaling $128,182 plus park impact fees to cover the balance.

So far, $105,000 of non-refundable money has been spent on landscaping and many residents asked the board to cut its losses and use the remaining dollars on other lake projects, such as adding a launch pad to allow paddle boats and kayaks back into the lake.

A few residents spoke out in favor of moving forward with the project, stating it was good for the next