Revitalizing Recreation in Commerce Texas

While doing a community assessment of Commerce Texas, a rural college and town, with a population of 8,222, we discovered that the community pool was closed. We believe that every community should have a water recreational area and we asked many residents how they felt about the situation. All of the people we talked with stated they would love to have the pool reopened or replaced with some sort of waterpark. We talked with several people and called the City of Commerce’s Parks and Recreation Department, we were informed that the city pool, which was built in 1985, was closed due to major maintenance problems, a few years ago. There are leaks in the pipes, the land around the pool gets flooded with leaking water from the pipes, the diving board is broken, the railing is either falling apart or rusted and the stairs are decomposing. An independent study conducted, in 2013, estimated the total costs of repairs would be approximately $260,000. That price would only restore the pool to its original state and it still would not meet current regulations and bylaws.

Commerce is a very small town but is growing at a tremendous rate due to the college that is located in town (Texas A&M University) which currently has over 5,138 full time students. Of all the full time students, 37% have children and families that stay in the Commerce area. Commerce is made of 6.6% of children under five years old, and 20.0% of children that are 18 years or younger. There are roughly 1,190 children in grades k-8. These children, along with the families from the college have no recreational activities besides the community city park.

Currently the city only has one park and this is the only means of recreation for the children. The college offers a swimming pool and a rock climbing facility but is only free to the students. The community has to pay around $65 per person for the summer alone and pay even more for the school semesters. The City of Commerce needs more recreational activities for the younger and older citizens, during the summer months, to help them remain stimulated physically, socially, and mentally.

With all matters taken into consideration, we, a group of social work college students, decided that the community would benefit greatly from a splash pad which would look wonderful at, or, near the city park where the pool is currently. A Splash Pad is a series of water sprinklers which makes up a park. There would be a water absorbent floor so the residents would not hurt or burn their feet, along with multiple water shoots and sprinklers of all different sizes and colors which shoot water out at different speeds and in different directions. The Splash Pad is operated by a timer which turns the water on and off so there is no need for the city to spend extra money on life guards or other forms of employment or even funds to build a gate.

That same 2013 study also estimated that it would cost approximately $400,000 to build the Splash Pad and it would have to be up to government standards. To pay for this new recreational facility, in addition to city funds, other resources would need to be assessed, by applying for recreational park grants, creating a recreational tax levied on the city, a taxation of $35/year for three years, on residents; this would pay for the Splash Pad and provide maintenance and repairs issues that may later appear.

Having a Splash Pad would also attract older residents to have involvement and a new found love for their community but also it may attract new residents to move to the area, including college graduates who are looking for a new area to start a family. A Splash Pad would benefit the whole community, young and old, by giving the citizens something fun to do, exercise for the kids, socialization, bring positive recreation, and beautification of the community.

For every person who signs our petition, a letter will be sent to the City Council stating that another concerned citizen is all in favor of a splash pad. If enough letters are sent to them, the city may see the urgency and desire of the community and may be willing to negotiate, on the community service, and approve a Splash Pad, for Commerce. Please help support us, in our efforts to build their new Splash Pad for this community.

 

 

City of Commerce Texas

1119 Alamo Street

Commerce, Texas 75428

 

Dear City of Commerce,

            The city of Commerce is in desperate need for more recreation and activities. After an assessment of your community, several citizens expressed the same need. We, a group of students have decided that a Splash Pad, to replace the closed swimming pool, would greatly benefit the community as a whole. Each person who agrees will sign our petition on Change.Org and after doing so this letter will be sent to your office. The goal is for you to see how much of an investment this would be and how greatly appreciated your residents would feel. Please review our petition and take it into consideration.

Sincerely,

 

Citizens and Friends of Commerce Texas