OTHELLO — The City of Othello says that the new splash pad in Kiwanis Park will not open this year after all. The city cites delays arising from inspection issues as the reason. This is the second year in a row that Othello has “promised” but not delivered on the opening of the water play feature.
The city released a statement on Facebook saying, “concerns were identified that need to be addressed before the facility can open to the public.”
Potentially significant construction issues
That post did not identify what the issues were, but Mayor Ken Johnson said that the city’s public works department had a “punch list” of items to check off before accepting the construction as final. “We met with the construction manager Monday morning to go over [the punch list],” Johnson said. He added that the city expects to hear back from the contractor by Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Some of the concerns are significant, including issues with the concrete pad itself. Of the rest of the punch list, Johnson said there’s no way that the issues can be taken care of quickly. “It’s going to take a lot of work,” he said. Johnson speculated that the concerns over the concrete work are significant enough that “it may need to be torn out.”
City Administrator Aaron Garza and City Engineer Robin Adolphsen did not return requests for information.
Decision making driven by desire to avoid same circumstances that led to pool closure
Johnson said the city is trying to avoid the same circumstances that led to the long-term closure of the Othello Community Pool. “We want something that’s nice. This project cost almost $1 million, we want something that’s going to last for the long term. The project was almost entirely funded by grants.
City leaders working to protect public investment
The city’s release also said, ” While we know this news is frustrating, the city’s priority must be the safety of our residents and protecting the significant investment our community has made in this project. We want to make sure the splash pad is not only ready to open, but ready to serve our community for many years to come. We share your disappointment, but taking the responsible approach now is the best way to deliver a splash pad our community can be proud of.”
Johnson did not name the contractor for the project, but they are based in Issaquah, Wash.
In 2025, the opening was delayed by what then mayor Shawn Logan said were caused by state health department signoffs.
Columbia Basin News has filed a request for public records regarding deficiencies with the splash pad project.
