Addison Township officials took another step toward giving that community’s children a fun place to play outside and cool off on hot summer days.

Last week, the township board voted 6-1 to move forward with Vortex Aquatic Structures International regarding the possibility of constructing a splashpad in LaBodie Park, adjacent to the Addison government offices at 1440 Rochester Rd. in Lakeville.

As part of the motion, officials will obtain a full estimate encompassing all of the potential costs for the project and investigate whether the pump for the well that supplies water to Fire Station #2 in Lakeville has the capacity to handle the splashpad as well.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said township Clerk Pauline Bennett. “We don’t have a beach here. The kids really don’t have anything to do in the summertime. This would be a really nice place for the families to come and bring their kids, cool off and enjoy our park.”

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Vortex Aquatic Structures International specializes in designing and building splashpads all over the world. It’s done more than 7,000 installations in 45 countries, according to the company’s website.

Vortex provided officials with two potential splashpad layouts containing different features.

Version A has a price tag of $111,035, a total area of 3,172 square feet, a spray area of 2,079 square feet and 16 water features. Version B (shown in the rendering to the right) costs $94,545 with a total area of 2,722 square feet, a spray area of 1,742 square feet and 12 water features.

“It’s a super-quick install,” said Angie Monroe, sales executive for Vortex. “Our company comes in and does everything internally as far as running all the pipes and getting everything hooked up.”

Vortex’s prices don’t include the cost of site excavation and restoration, providing a compacted sand base, building a concrete pad, bringing utilities to the pad and permits.

Addison would be responsible for all these things, so, as he’s done many times before, township Supervisor Bruce Pearson plans to secure donations of labor and materials.

“As you know, we’ve done an awful lot in this township in the last 10 years and the majority’s been done with volunteers,” he said. “You can’t live in this township unless you have a bulldozer or a backhoe. That’s a prerequisite.”

Addison has already earmarked $35,000 for a splashpad. That’s how much the township received as a signing bonus for entering into an extended lease agreement with American Tower Asset Sub LLC, the company that owns the cell tower located outside the township hall. The original lease agreement for the land on which the tower sits was set to expire in 2027, but the township board, earlier this year, voted to extend it for six additional five-year terms, making it valid through 2057.

Officials were largely supportive of the idea of building a splashpad.

“I’m in favor of it. I’d like to see this go forward,” said township Trustee Erich Senft, who noted there’s a splashpad in downtown Detroit by the GM Renaissance Center and the “kids just go crazy” for it.

“We want to get our kids out (of the house). We want them to play instead of stare at their phones,” Bennett said. “I think we do need to research (it) a little bit more, but I think the concept is excellent for the kids – and adults.”

Township Treasurer Lori Fisher was the only official who objected to moving forward with the splashpad project. As such, she cast the lone dissenting vote.

“Personally, I think it’s a lot of money to spend and I’m not sure that it’s the best bang for the buck,” she said.

She pointed out there’s a limited amount of time in Michigan each year when the weather is hot enough for splashpads to operate.

“It can only be used two (to) two-and-a-half months out of the year,” Fisher said.

Fisher preferred the township invest in something that would appeal to and be used by “a little wider of an age group.”

“Something like this is mostly going to appeal to 2-to-7-year-olds and we probably only have maybe 300 (kids in that age range) in the township,” she said.

Concern over the need for restroom and changing facilities was expressed by Fisher.

The only public restrooms available are located inside the township hall, which is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“I personally just don’t feel that this is the right spot for this type of thing,” said Fisher, who wondered “if we’re going to have wet kids running through the lobby.”

Fisher also wondered who’s going to be responsible for maintaining a splashpad.

“We don’t have a (public works) department. I’m not sure who’s going to be checking to make sure everything’s running smoothly,” she said.

In response to Fisher, Pearson said, “You’re looking at the maintenance department right here.”

The supervisor noted the township previously hired someone to maintain the restrooms in Addison’s Watershed Preserve Park on a weekly basis and this person’s duties could be expanded to include splashpad maintenance. When it comes time to winterize the facility, Pearson said he could ask the lawn service company that donated the township hall’s lawn sprinkler system to blow out the splashpad in the fall.

As for the restroom issue, Pearson said portable units could be brought in for splashpad users. That being said, he noted he has “no problem with kids coming into our township (hall)” to use the restrooms.

“I’d like to see them in our township (hall) anyhow because it’s pretty boring all day long, otherwise,” Pearson said. “I don’t think we’re going to have hundreds of them coming in. They’re more than welcome to come use the facility after all, it’s here for them . . . as well as everybody else.”

Senft didn’t view it as a problem that a splashpad can only be used a few months out of the year. He likened it to the state’s limited season for boating.

“That’s just the way it is,” he said. “We live in Michigan.”

With regard to the age of splashpad users, Monroe told the board, they range from “toddlers” to “teenagers” (such as those babysitting young kids) to “grandparents.”

“We say it’s (for ages) 2 to 92 . . . It just depends on the person,” she said.

When she told a local senior citizen about the possibility putting in a splashpad for local children, Bennett said the response was, “Oh, heck with the kids, I’m going to run in, too.”

Monroe noted there are “no life guards needed” at a splashpad because “there’s zero standing water,” so “it’s safe.”

Water supplied by a well will be chilly, but that won’t be an issue, according to Monroe.

“The kids don’t care that it’s 55 or even 60 degrees,” she said. “It’s not like jumping into a pool. It’s a splash. You know you’re going to get drenched, but you can get out of it, get warmed back up and come back in. It’s a little different than having a cold pool. Having a cold splashpad is okay.”