A proposal to create an inflatable water park off Port Dover’s public beach met with cautious interest by Norfolk County council on Tuesday.
Derek Stonier, owner of Splashtown Niagara, which opens to the public on Saturday, told councilors adding a water park to Port Dover will increase business for restaurants and hotels.
“Port Dover beach is already a destination and adding a water park will push it over the edge,” Stonier said during a presentation.
With locations popping up all over North American, he said a Dover location would bring in tourists from across the province and the Western New York area.
Similar to a park now set up at Nickel Beach in Port Colborne, Stonier wants to get approval for an installation that would be active by next June off the public beach.
With up to 10 local employees and paying a local leasing fee to the county, Stonier said his company will pay all insurance and expenses.
“Come out to Port Colborne and try it,” Stonier urged the council, which turned the pitch back to staff for input on security, parking and insurance.
His proposal calls for the set of inflatables, which includes hurdles, trampolines, climbing walls, slides and monkey bars, to be spread over an area of about 51 meters by 27 meters and anchored to the lake floor with bungees and steel cables attached to auger anchorpoints.
Up to 150 people at a time could use the park, wearing mandatory life jackets supplied by the company. The park would run from June to September for those five and older. Stonier said it will attract numerous group events from birthdays and day camps to corporate team-building days or contests.
Stonier expects prices would be $17 for an hour or $30 for the entire day.
The firm would pack down the entire park at the end of the season.
Councilors questioned Stonier about wind, the park’s location, security, parking and whether the park could impact boaters, kayakers and paddleboarders who enjoy the beach.
“Why Dover instead of Turkey Point which is more of a stay-and-play spot?” asked Coun. Kim Huffman.
“We figured we’d get you to agree to Dover before going to a third location in Turkey Point,” said Stonier with a grin.
He councilors he’s assured the possibility of strong winds on the beach but said the rigging will withstand windy days with triple anchoring and 3,000 pounds of pulling power on the inflatables.
“It does kick up in the summer but we would be out by Sept. 15 and the nastiest storms are in the fall.”
Stonier said he would provide overnight security at the site to protect from people trying to swim out to the park in the dark.
Speaking from Nickel Beach, where the Splashtown Niagara is prepared to open on Saturday, Stonier said he would likely need a full year to plan a Port Dover opening, partly due to delays in ordering the park, which must be shipped from Germany. His Niagara installation took more than six months to arrive.
“Even making the decision in November or December here would be late. We have to do a couple of dives to assess the location and I want to warm the community up to me.”
Meanwhile, Stonier said he’s been inundated with people at Nickel Beach asking when they can use the splash park there.
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