News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Monterey splash pad has been open to visitors for more than a month, and it’s so far been a success.
Putnam County Parks and Recreation Director John Albertson said over 20 people visit the water feature a day. He said this figure shows residents are seriously considering social distancing.
“There’s not as many people, I don’t think, that have been out in the public and wanting to try and congregate,” Albertson said. “That’s one fortunate thing at least that we’ve seen so far is that the general public seems to be following social distancing practices pretty well, even without us having to mandate that there at the splash pad.”
Albertson said the last piece to the project is to add a small fence around the perimeter. He said the fence should be up after this fall.
The water feature is just the beginning to new features to Whitaker Park in the coming years, Albertson said.
“Of course right now, the way that it’s set up, it targets a little bit younger of an age group with the way that the fountain heads shoot,” Albertson said. “We’re looking hopefully in the next couple years to be able to add some different features that might be able to attract a little bit older audience for use.”
After financial affects to the Parks and Recreation Department due to the pandemic, Albertson said he’s proud the splash pad and Baxter amphitheater, the two largest projects on this year’s agenda, were completed. He said the department has already begun the process of considering other projects for 2021.
