Clear Lake looking to expand splash pad, restroom facilities at City Beach (AUDIO)

CLEAR LAKE —Clear Lake city officials are continuing to review plans on improvements to the City Beach area, including an expanded splash pad and new restroom facilities.

Mayor Nelson Crabb says they are looking to restructure and re-position a number of things in that area.  “RDG has come in and they have kind of put a plan in there to expand that splash pad area, move it around, take those older restrooms that were there, and we’re having some infrastructure situations there that we need to do something with anyway, so just take it over and hook it onto the water treatment plant. Then put a little of shade pavilion over there for people that want to come off the beach, or grandparents or parents that want to stay there and watch the kids play on the beach and can still see them from that area. It’ll just enhance that from what it presently is.”

Crabb says the splash pad area is popular, helping bring people into the community.   “That’s the things, part of the things, that bring people to a community. If we claim we are a tourist resort community, then these are the needs that I see we need to have here.”

The city has been looking at making improvements to that area, which includes the water treatment plant and the area where a water tower once stood.  “By taking those restrooms and moving them over to the water treatment plant, you open up and that becomes even a different venue look, because you can be walking along the sidewalk over on South Shore Drive or driving along, and you can slow down, look through there, walk through there to see the entire lake at that point. So that’s important too I think to have as much open space that we can provide.”

The price tag for the plan could be between $1.3 and $1.6 million. Crabb made his comments on the “Ask the Mayor” program earlier today on AM-1300 KGLO. Listen back to the program via the audio player below