Opening day at Snoqualmie splash pad delayed

The $1.5 million outdoor water feature is expected to open in mid-August.

By Mallory Kruml • July 25, 2024 7:30 am

Unopened boxes labeled “SNOQUALMIE” and “SNOQUALMIE BEAR” and piles of dirt sit surrounded by a chain-link fence at the future site of the Snoqualmie Community Park splash pad.

Originally scheduled to open in July, the outdoor water feature and play space — at 35016 SE Ridge St. in Snoqualmie — is facing contractor-related delays due to staffing shortages that slowed the building process, said Patrick Fry, a project engineer for Snoqualmie.

The city chose Aquatix by Landscape Structures for the splash pad’s design, features, mechanical components and installation. That contractor will compensate the city for the lost playtime, Fry said.

“The delay lies solely with the contractor,” Fry said. “The contract allows the city to incur liquidated damages every day that the project is not completed. When the project is complete, the city will assess what damages may be sought.”

The city and its project engineers remain hopeful for a summer opening, “with mid-August likely the best-case scenario,” wrote Danna McCall, Snoqualmie’s communications coordinator.

According to the city website, contractors have performed the necessary earth and site work, installed a 4,000-gallon water tank and most of the electrical and plumbing equipment.

During the April 2 Snoqualmie Parks and Public Works meeting, Snoqualmie City Administrator Mike Chambless said the splash pad will eventually run unattended due to the lack of standing water.

“For at least the first month or two, staff will be going there regularly just to check things until we get the system balanced,” he said. “Ultimately, it will boil down to staff just visiting the site twice daily to check the numbers and ensure everything is OK.”