DIXON, CA (MPG) - Proof that one person can have an impact on city plans happened at the last Parks Master Plan Meeting when local mother of four Nicole Bennett asked for a splash pad to be put on the list of desires at the final community workshop. Only one other participant was familiar with the latest rage in children’s park entertainment, so some explaining was necessary.

Although water fun is not new to America by any means with the public pool craze starting in the early 1920s and 1930s, the splash pad became popular around 2012 and has spread into parks all over California. There is no standing water, so they eliminate the need for a lifeguard as there is little risk of drowning. They have been sought after by many parents over the past couple years due to the drought and water conservation efforts.

Did we mention they are usually free play, too? After the explanation and support from another participant who was a grandmother and familiar with the sought-after summer heat relief amusement, more of the group added that to their top items they wanted in Dixon.

Getting a local splash pad was the number one reason Bennett came to the meeting, she said, and why she was adamant the item be a standalone and not coupled with the public pool where the city charges $4 for a child to enter locked gates and enjoy swimming.

“Our group brought it to the forefront in a strong way,” she said. “There was obvious community support that needed to be addressed.” Bennett moved to Dixon from Portland, Oregon, in 2019 and her children are between age 20 to a new baby. She was participating along with about 15 other local residents grouped at tables who were asked to offer ideas for their ideal recreation areas and ultimately prioritize them.

Sponsored by the City of Dixon, the project’s objectives were to build a community-based assessment of needs that included input from local citizens, sports leagues representatives, and city planners.

Dixon’s eight parks, from largest to smallest, are Hall Memorial Park, Northwest Park, Patwin Park, Veterans Park, Conejo Park and the two newest small parks are Southwest Neighborhood Park and Southwest Community Park. Currently, there are five acres for every 1,000 people in Dixon with a total of 96 acres of park for 19,000 residents.

“Those are good numbers,” said John Courtney of LPA Architecture and Engineering, who tallied large sheets of results along with coworkers Brian So and Andrew Wickham.

The first questions on the survey were where, in the last 12 months, have you or your family participated at and what activities did you do? Choices included fitness classes and senior programs. Another tally for facilities resulted in better maintenance, lighting, restrooms, then shade structures and lastly benches.

Residents brought forth desires for having something more for the youth to do in town, sports fields, wider use of the swimming pool and/or an aquatic center for competitions, a larger gym facility, bike paths, exercise paths, bocce ball courts, pickleball facilities, tennis, golf, group picnic areas, and lighted sports fields for soccer and softball. It seemed every participant had ideas.

LPA leaders then narrowed the ideas to more general areas and repeated that task until the top answers were: 1) Aquatics Center for large multi-purpose recreation and competition with Splash Pad, 2) Trail System, and 3) Pickleball Courts. Those results will be added to the existing top figures, which included a soccer field, playground, and shade.

The company will now gather and analyze the conclusions from all three meetings, the phone surveys, and the personal meetups with league representatives and report back to the city in a couple of months.

“I’m delighted at the amount of enthusiasm that people have for their recreation facilities in Dixon,” said Courtney.