Dear Editor:

Although I couldn’t attend the July 8 Planning Board meeting regarding the Eastside Waterfront Park in person, I watched much of the live stream. While it was heartening to see a room filled mostly with enthusiastic supporters, it was equally disheartening to hear a couple of attendees refer to the project as “Disney World” or an “amusement park”—all because the plans include a splash pad.

I have been hesitant to admit publicly that the splash pad was my idea, especially since it seems to be a main point of contention holding the park back. In 2018, I was heavily involved with “Friends of the Harbor” and was asked to join the park's Advisory Board. At the time, my son was three and I was pregnant with my daughter. We frequently drove to Portland just to use the splash pads at Deering Oaks and Payson Park. When brainstorming began for our Eastside site, I thought a splash pad would be a wonderful asset—not just for local children, but to draw young families to our town who might fall in love with the region and move here. As a local teacher, I understand firsthand how vital it is to attract and retain young families. With excitement and enthusiasm from others on the Board, the creation of a beautiful stone splash pad became a reality. 

For naysayers to refer to this tasteful splash pad as an "amusement park” is a massive embellishment. It is simply a set of water fountains for children to play in. With controlled run times, it certainly won't be operating too early or too late in the day. Furthermore, this feature has been part of the site plan since day one; the renderings were public knowledge well before the Doyles purchased the neighboring property. It is a shame that a simple, community-minded feature is being met with such extreme resistance from a handful of people.

Finally, I want to thank the Park Board members and volunteers. They have remained steadfast in their push to make this park a reality for everyone, and they have enthusiastically stood behind the splash pad. My children, now 11 and 7, are still holding out hope that they'll get to enjoy it.

Kate McEvoy Rice

Boothbay Harbor