STURGIS, S.D. – Tuesday night provided the public one last chance to offer input and ideas for the proposed Sturgis Lakeside Adventure Park.
The informal get together was held at the Sturgis Community Center.
Among the many ideas on display Tuesday night were a miniature golf course, large obstacle course, a zero-depth pool entry area, two-tower wakeboard system, a zipline and even ideas for winter recreation.
Sturgis Aquatic Committee spokeswoman Allison Creed-Carter says they have discussed more than 25 different types of attractions, including a multi purpose trail that could connect Sturgis and surrounding BLM land to the park.
Creed-Carter says getting public input is so important, because it’s the community that will ultimately use the facility. For example, she says there are many types of splash pads that could be included.
“What is your #1 must for a splash pad? Is it the slide? Large water bucket? The interactive/sensory pieces? Would you rather have one large splash pad or a smaller splash pad, but also a small park?”
Creed-Carter says it’s up to the people of Sturgis to decide what they would like to see included. She urges citizens to let their city council members known what they would like to see.
Also up for discussion Tuesday night were some community concerns. One of them was the possibility of zebra mussels getting into the lake.
Creed-Carter says an Adventure Park by design has little algae, so there is little food available for Zebra Mussels. However the Mussel would only clean the water more. She says in states where the Zebra Mussel has been common for decades, there are no known issues in Adventure Park Aquatic Facilities.
To further reduce the likelihood of damage to the Park, outside watercraft can be prohibited and there will be efforts to maintain the clarity of the water, reducing food availability for mussels. If Zebra Mussels still managed to be introduced in Sturgis, there are treatments that can be taken, including a low dose exposure copper based protocol which would work best late in the summer, likely after the swimming season.
Also addressed was why a public vote wasn’t being held for the proposed water park.
City officials say the city only has authority that has been specifically granted by the State Legislature. The legislature has authorized cities to set special elections on municipal bonds or if property taxes should be paid to repay bonds (SDCL 6-8B-3).
This is what the city of Yankton did in 2018; there was no public vote for the pool, but there was a public vote for the bonds and property tax increase to pay for the bonds and therefore the pool.
The proposed Adventure Park does not include bonds or changes in property taxes, so it would be illegal for the City to set an election for the project.
As for funding, Creed-Carter says they have surpassed their original goal of raising $350,000. So far, nearly $410,000 has been raised. She says if the park is approved, they will continue to hold fundraisers.
The Sturgis Park Board is expected to discuss the proposed Park at their October 18th meeting.
