To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Breyana Brandt, Parks & Recreation Director
Prepared By: Ali Koenig, Parks Planning Manager
TITLE:
Title
Splash Pad Feasibility Planning Review
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Receive a presentation on the (1) major findings from two city planning initiatives on the feasibility of constructing a public splash pad in the City of Napa’s parks system, (2) draft recommendation to include a public splash pad in the Harvest Park Project’s early action phase, and (3) provide direction to staff.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City of Napa (“City”) is considering the addition of a public splash pad in Napa to address the need for water play in the community. Splash pads are zero-depth aquatic recreation facilities designed to provide safe, accessible, and interactive water play for a wide range of ages and abilities. A successful splash pad must balance programming, site functionality, maintenance demands, capital costs, and community accessibility.
This year, the City has engaged in two major initiatives to study the feasibility of incorporating a splash pad within an existing City park property. This includes a study (“Splash Pad Feasibility Study”) led by COAR Design Group <https://www.coargroup.com/> that analyzes three parks based on need identified in the 2010 Parks and Facilities Master Plan including, O’Brien Park, Las Flores Community Center, and Kennedy Park. Additionally, the City has initiated the Harvest Park Project led by Noll & Tam Architects <https://www.nollandtam.com/>, which is studying the need and feasibility of community-oriented facilities (including a splash pad) at the former Harvest Middle School property acquired by the City in December 2026.
Each assessment has used a variety of planning efforts to evaluate community interest and suitability at these four (4) sites:
• Splash Pad Feasibility Study evaluates the scale, accessibility, maintenance, water management, utility infrastructure, support amenities, and parking for each of the three sites (i.e. O’Brien Park, Las Flore Community Center, and Kennedy Park). By assessing these impacts and requirements, the study has arrived at preliminary layouts, constraints, and estimated costs and timelines.
• Harvest Park Project evaluates the feasibility and potential locations of recreational facilities within the 26.62 acre property. Aquatic facilities, including splash pads, are considered a high priority for this project and the City has received direct input to guide concept planning.
After evaluating the four potential locations through these two major planning initiatives, the City anticipates that the former Harvest Middle School property (“Harvest property) best aligns with the project's goals due to the following key factors:
• Community Scale: The property offers the necessary physical space to successfully meet community demand and support the facility's design requirements.
• Site Accessibility: The property’s central Napa location provides broad access for the general public and nearby residents, ensuring wide community reach.
• Maintenance & Operator Expertise: The property is slated for a future community pool which will require similar technical operator/maintenance expertise, that is Aquatics Facility Operator/Certified Pool Operators.
• Planning Efficiencies: Aquatics planning, including a public splash pad facility, is already integrated into the active Harvest Park Project planning process.
• Grant Opportunities: The City is pursuing state grants to help fund the Harvest Park Project "Early Action" Phase.
The Parks, Recreation and Trees Advisory Commission (PRTAC) received this presentation and recommendation at the October 21, 2026 meeting. As a result, the PRTAC unanimously recommended that the City Council consider evaluating the Harvest property as the splash pad project location for expedited implementation, while continuing to consider the feasibility of Kennedy Park as a back-up. Overall, the PRTAC emphasized the need to identify a park site that provides adequate space for citywide usage, and the desire for a medium- to large-scale splashpad to meet the community’s needs.
To support City Council’s consideration of the recommended action, City staff will review major findings from the major planning initiatives and provide a high-level snapshot of early schematics of the Harvest Park Project. Early schematics identify a potential location for a future splash pad to be considered as part of the “Early Action” phase of the comprehensive park master plan currently in development.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
Funding for future projects would be proposed through Council action during the Harvest Park Project design process and/or the City’s capital improvement program budget process.
CEQA:
The Parks and Recreation Services Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report is not in-and-of-itself a “project” (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change in the environment.
However, the Recommended Action is part of a larger project that will be subject to environmental review in accordance with CEQA at the “earliest feasible time” prior to “approval” consistent with CEQA Guidelines Sections 15004 and 15352. The larger project is future development of the Harvest property into a public park, and staff plans to bring back a CEQA analysis to Council during the design development and planning process.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Splash Pad Feasibility Study (Draft Report)
ATCH 2 - Harvest Park Project (Proposed Splash Pad Location)
NOTIFICATION:
Parks Recreation and Trees Advisory Commission (10/21/2026 Publicly Noticed Meeting)