Raging waters visioning exercise

10/31/2020

Overview
Raging Waters which has changed names to Raging Waters and later Seven Peaks is in a state of serious disrepair.

Closed since 2018, the pools leak, much of the equipment is broken and unsafe, or no longer meet engineering codes. Vandalism and operator abandonment have created additional problems, such as fires, stripped electrical wiring, and equipment theft. The park’s condition leaves Salt Lake City wrestling with the difficult question of what to do next.

The Glendale Community Council hosted an onsite visioning conversation on October 31, 2020. For those who missed the meeting, you can still participate. Here's how you can participate.

Step 1: Review Our Draft Scenarios
We've created some draft scenarios to illustrate all of the possibilities for the site. Please note, these are not fully formed ideas nor are they reflective of any solid plan for the site. Rather, we created them as a way of showcasing the many ideas that have been floated for the Raging Waters property.

As you review them, we recommend that you ask yourself four questions:

1) Which of the scenarios is most cost-effective and financially feasible? You may define this in any way that you like.

2) Which of the scenarios is best for the many children and families in our neighborhood?

3) Which of the scenarios is most accessible to people with disabilities, seniors, and others who may have mobility challenges?

4) How can we preserve the history of the waterpark and build community identity?

Step 2: Create Your Own Vision
Now that you've considered the possibilities. We want to see your vision for the site!

Download the visioning canvas linked below and draw your vision for the site. After you've drawn it, we would love to hear from you. Please send a picture of your site plan to Turner Bitton at chair@glendaleutah.org or text it to (801) 564-3860. As always, you can comment below with your ideas and vision as well.

We're so grateful for your feedback and excited to see your ideas!

Raging Waters Site Map Canvas
File Size:	487 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

4 Comments

Jeremy King

11/18/2020 07:33:53 pm

I want to see a kayak park developed in the space which complies with the open space and recreation requirement.
I believe with the existing water head at the wier on the other end of the golf course the pumping requirement is significantly reduced making it a cost effective idea.

Amy O'Connor

11/20/2020 10:07:32 pm

Thanks for all your work on this! Option 2 comes closest to what I would envision for the site.

I think a splash pad is a fabulous idea. Wherever I have seen these, they seem to entertain kids for hours.On hot days, they are fun for adults too.

In terms of the central feature on the site, I'd suggest doing something that also has educational value. For example, in Liberty Park one of the features shows the different canyons and how the streams enter the Salt Lake valley. Why not have some sort of replica of the entire state, with the splash pad being the shape of the Great Salt Lake and other geographical features representing other parts of the state? You could include areas of native plants here also, instead of grass. Though vandalism is always a problem, you could have some kind of relatively vandalism proof explanations of different ecosysems within Utah. The proximity to the Jordan River also presents an opportunity in terms of education people about watersheds. This could also build interest and pride in the diverse landscapes of Utah, many of which west-side residents aren't even familiar with. You could even have QR codes embedded in displays that would allow people to access web sites with photos and further information. In addition to the splash pad, perhaps you could have areas in this Utah map dedicated to different games or activities. You could work with Tracy Aviary, the Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, the Loveland Living Aquarium and Friends of the Great Salt Lake (and possibly others). All of these could provide information, web links and even staff or volunteers to to bring educational programming to this new park. I believe that all have staff/docents dedicated to educaton about wildlife, ecosystems, Native Americans, watersheds, ecology, archaeology, history, etc.

I would try to minimize hard surfaces like asphalt trails on the site. You can get wheelchair access with permeable surfaces like the one at the Fife Wetlands Preserve. In fact, I would assess whether the huge parking area that currently consumes much of the site is necessary. If one did an estimate of site use, one might be able to tear some of that out and make it part of the attractions on the site.

I would also look at public transportation access. The site is right on at least one UTA bus line. The Jordan River Parkway provides easy biking and walking access. This could become a real recrational/education jewel and centerpiece for the West Side.

I would love to see a large community garden on the site as well Perhaps you could work with Wasatch Community Gardens who already have the knowledge and infrastructure (but not necessarily the funding and staff yet) to oversee another community garden. I think having places where we both educate people about gardening and provide space for growing food is a great community building tool. Just look of examples in cities where people have built community gardens and have used them to increase the quality of life in their communities dramatically.

You could work with TreeUtah to make sure that plenty of trees are planted and taken care of, while engageing community members in volunteer activities to grow the urban canopy in the park.

Overall, I would avoid large areas of Kentucky Bluegrass which takes way too much water and is inevitably treated with pesticides/herbicides. We have enough parks with that type of open space. Please don't make this an extension of the golf course. Golf courses basically lock out most of the public and are biological and educational wastelands that serve very few people in our community. They have their place, but I think we have more than enough of them.

In terms of the landscaping for the site, it would be great to add relief (e.g., hills), much like there is in the International Peace Gardens. Parks that are not just flat are so much more interesting and enjoyable to visit. Community art such as sculptures also makes any park more interesting. Maybe the art could have a Utah theme? You could also take a page from the work done at Sugarhouse Park where southern Utah/canyon country type of features were incorporated in the entrance to the underpass. Something like the "stone work" could be incorporated in the central "map" theme that I mentioned above.

I am also wondering how this park could help celebrate the cultural diversity of the West Side? Maybe the art incorporated in the park could be part of that? Maybe the QR codes with educational links could incorporate this aspect of our community? Perhaps the educational programming or other activities for the park could emphasize this?

There is huge potential for this site to be a real gem for our community. I look forward to next steps in your process!

Christine Schulz

11/29/2020 05:40:35 pm

I chose between the various plans based on cost and what kind of recreation activities are lacking in the area. I have also combined ideas from various plans. My recommendation is a combination of a few of the elements from plans 2-5. I recommend the creation of a regional park connection, combining the site with the golf course and 17 S. River park, similar to Liberty park or Sugarhouse park. I think the area of the park that used to be raging waters should have a splash pad, open space, perimeter trail for walking/running, community meeting spaces, nostalgia related art pieces, and sports courts, specifically basketball courts.
I recommend the creation of a regional park and the sports courts based on the need in the area. A basic google search shows that there are plenty of baseball fields and soccer fields, some of which are in 17 S. River park, but not many basketball courts. It also shows that the northwest side of the city has quite a few small parks, but not a large park like Liberty or Sugarhouse park. I think it would be great for this area to have a large, regional park on the West side of route 15. It would draw in new residents and help current residents.
I also recommend the open space and the splash pad for cost purposes. The open space will by far save the city the most money because it does not require a lot of development on the land and the upkeep is easy. As the space already has the infrastructure for a water feature, I thought it would be a waste of money to entirely scrap it. However, pools are quite a bit of upkeep and the SLC Sports Complex, which has a community pool, is just a block north. Therefore, I recommended a splash pad, to both take advantage of the existing infrastructure and try to maintain cost efficiency.
Finally, I thought the perimeter trail, community meeting spaces, and nostalgia related art pieces would be best for preserving and promoting the community, as well as creating a recreational, accessible space to people with disabilities, seniors, and others who may have mobility challenges. With asphalt trails throughout the park, both the nostalgia art installations and community meeting spaces would be great for creating an accessible community space. Additionally, nostalgia related art pieces would help preserve and promote community identity, and they could even relate to the history of the water park and the area.

Sarah Wolfe

1/4/2021 07:47:32 am

I love some of the ideas mentioned, both in the proposal and in these comments. I think it's important to have this in Spanish as well, and to actively engage the Mexican-American constituency of the west side, as well as other large minority groups. Culturally, they may be interested in different elements. I'd also like to see something unique, rather than trying to re-create Liberty Park and Sugarhouse Park. We are a unique area. One re-creation I'd love to see, however, is a trail around and through the park that can accommodate walkers, roller bladers, runners, and cyclists, like at Liberty Park.

I'd love to see native plants as well, rather than trying to create a huge green space in the desert - waste of water! Creating open as well as shaded areas, connecting points from one main focus of the park to another (rather than just one trail around the perimeter of the park, have it intersect other trails/pathways throughout).

Water feature would be great as long as it is not wasting water but recirculating it safely.

Lighting would be really important, too, especially if people are likely to walk through the park as part of a commute, rather than around it. I agree that having relief in the landscape would make it more interesting as well (hills, valleys, twists and turns in the trails, unexpected surprises throughout).

The memory of the waterpark could be re-created through public art. Importantly, I would really love to have interactive public art in the park, not just things to look at, but things to interact with in a meaningful and playful way. Maybe some hearty musical instruments that look cool and one can play. Sculptures that can be climbed on, crawled inside of, touched for texture, and represent something significant to the west side.

Absolutely partnering with local organizations already doing many of the things people want to incorporate into the park makes a lot of sense, financially, logistically and with the goal of community-building.

I'd love to be a part of the development of such an area. I would not be interested in re-building the water park.

What's going on in Glendale?