Councilman Kelley wants to pursue a water park for SB
By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- Councilman Chas Kelley says a city run water park could provide a way to help money flow into the city's parks system.
Kelley, who has brought the idea up during budget talks earlier this month, said he the water park idea comes from a conversation he had with the mayor of an Indiana city at a National League of Cities event.
Kelley sees a water park as a place where San Bernardino can sell tickets and concessions to possibly raise enough raise money to support other city parks.
The idea has yet to be the subject of extensive discussions, but Kelley thinks San Bernardino has to find alternative revenue streams to maintain a healthy budget.
"We just get through each budget cycle, and we wipe our brow and say 'Whew, we just got through another one,'" Kelley said in a telephone interview Friday.
Kelley represents the neighborhoods of northern San Bernardino in the city's Fifth Ward. He said there are "30 acres of prime real estate" owned by the San Bernardino Economic Development Agency in the northern part of the city near the 215 Freeway, but that the park could be built anywhere in San Bernardino to take advantage of local water resources.
"Let's bring it to the surface and let's bring in a lazy river. If you don't know what a lazy river is, it's about three feet deep and you float around on innertubes," Kelley said.
Kelley's description suggests something like the Amazon Adventure attraction at Raging Water in San Dimas. That Los Angeles County city, according to Rufus, is known to "have more excellent water slides than any other planet we communicate with," but Kelley would build some water slides in San Bernardino and ideally, build something that would attract people from around the Inland Empire who are looking to cool off.
Two Southern California cities, Fontana and Palmdale, have also ventured into the water park business. In Palmdale, the DryTown Water Park is in its fourth season but Palmdale communications manager John Mlynar acknowledged the attraction has yet to turn a positive cash flow.
Fontana's Aquatic Center features a water slides and a competition swimming pool. Fontana Mayor Mark Nuaimi said the park is about to be used for its first full summer.
City staffers with access to the Aquatic Center's financial data were not at work Friday, since Fontana offices were closed. But Nuami said he believes the center is expected to help Fontana's finances.
"I think it is projected to be a revenue generator," he said.
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Andrew Edwards. E-mail Andrew here.
Another SNAFU in the future?
Does Kelley even understand the idea of capitalism vs government ownership?
He obviously believes government can run business better than private enterprise. Socialism .
Let's see: the city is broke,
He wants the city to run another Pharoh's kingdom in SanBernadino
Water rates are already high and going up for residents
Water in north end is not as plentiful as downtown
What happened to the Lakes and stream project?
How will he staff such a park?
Insurance, security, maintenance, access, resources, traffic, winds, and drop in revenue during off season causing taxpayers to support the park like the Carousel Mall security SNAFU, etc etc etc.
GEE! I almost forgot the most important thing!!
WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING TO COME FROM TO BUILD THIS PROJECT?? HHMMMMM???
What do those people in the 5th ward drink or eat to come up with these ideas???
Stop looking for the government to run everything! Is Kelley going to run for federal office next , so he can run GM or Chrysler???
Kind of "socialistic " in concept I think. Government control of , rather than private tax creating businesses, doing what they are known to do best in a Capitalistic economy.
Hey Kelley, go start your own business and leave our tax dollars alone!
More government is the problem, not the solution!
Graffitti costs twice as much to have the city erase it,
Welfare, medicare, medicade and Veterans admin hospital care are government run, boy there are some loser programs.
Operation Phoenix is a loser
The Mall is a loser, Lakes and Streams is a loser,
down town renovations have been a loser for decades, and another Pharoh's Kingdom run now by the city will be a loser.
Who thinks of these "LOSER IDEAS"??
HHMMMM?
Any expenditure of this magnitude by the City of SB should be first approved by the voters. It will be they who will have to pay for study, design, construction, location, parking and impact to whatever neighborhood where it will be built.
As other’s have said, the City is broke and the elusive money tree is missing again. Funding will be a challenge but only after the City budget for 2010 is approved. The voters and local residents near the location of this proposed water park must fully understand what is in store for each.
For years we have heard that SB is the land of plenty in terms of available water. So much so that our water is being sold to cities down stream of the Santa Ana River. Now we are hearing to conserve conserve conserve, limit yard watering and car washing etc. Then the idea of a water park is proposed. Like the questionable funding issue, where is the water going to come from? Will it impact the resident’s cost for water at their homes?
Perhaps SB should entertain the idea of buying the Pharaoh’s Kingdom (Water) Park from the City of Redlands and upgrade it as necessary. It may be cheaper and I am sure Redlands would offer a good price to unload this white elephant.
yeah this place would be great, it would draw the best of crowds, nice decent people, families enjoying time together. YEAH, RIGHT! It would be a disaster. The customer base would mostly come from SB. You would have Cesar aka: " Sneaky " wearing his wife beater shirt, shorts half way down his calves and socks up to his knees in the water. SB has a bad reputation, a lot of people from other cities would not want to come to SB.
And if Chazzy doesn't get his way he will surely cry during closed session.