Highland Park Spraypark is complete but...one more part is required
Fri, 06/07/2013
The Highland Park Spraypark, modeled in some ways in a similar park in Georgetown but made unique to the Highland Park neighborhood is about 99.9% done according to Seattle Parks. But no opening date has been announce because there's still one part they need before they can set the day. Projects Coordinator Kelly Goold said, "There are some minor problems with the water quality system, and we need to be overly cautious in dealing with this. The spraypark manufacturer is supplying a new part and it will be installed as soon as we get it."
The spraypark construction incorporated ideas from the community including gathering places, art and a planetary theme.
The park is a recirculating type, meaning it is more sustainable, instead of a "pass through" that drains the water away. It cost more money but the Highland Park community lobbied and got the funds. This type of park also means more features could be included. Those features include a "tunnel" in which water arcs overhead, an above grade feature that has an "element of surprise" with "tippy buckets" that fill up and then dump water, a team spray that "consist of a number of ground jets that when you plug one it pumps up another one."
The planets in the cement pattern are shown in proportional shapes with a special highly saturated color coating. Some elements of the concrete are slightly sloped so when the park is not operating as a water park it will offer recreational opportunities to skaters. There are seatwalls that wrap around to contain the area too.