August 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 19

Park Pool Perfection
Grapevine, Texas, residents find summertime peace at the newly renovated Dove Waterpark
By Samantha Bartram

ike its larger metropolitan neighbors Forth Worth and Dallas, summers
in the smallish north Texas suburb of Grapevine get hot. Between June
and September, average temperatures consistently hover in the 90s, and
spotty cloud cover means that summer sun can be incredibly intense. For decades, Dove Park has been a go-to respite for Grapeviners - each season, thousands of residents and visitors flock there during the hottest days of the year to
splash and swim at the community pool. In spring 2013, Dove Pool and the surrounding park underwent a major renovation with significant facility updates.
Getting a Facelift
Originally designed in 1971, Dove
Pool was a simple, I-shaped oasis
where guests could swim a few laps
or take a cooling dip off either of two
diving boards. In the ensuing years,
small improvements were made, like
the addition of a toddler pool and
installation of a fun mushroom water feature. Still, upkeep costs for the
aging facility were mounting, and
operators knew it would soon be necessary to make some major improvements. " Over the years, the industry
standard and public expectations of
an aquatics facility changed, " Jennifer Kashner-Fry, aquatics coordinator for the City of Grapevine Parks
and Recreation Department, wrote
in a February World Waterpark Mag-

Shade Systems canopies provide protection
against the oppressive Texas sun.

azine article detailing the project.
" Patrons desired a more diverse experience that can only be provided
by enhancing the facility's features to
approach that of a true waterpark. "
Park and recreation officials, town
leaders and consultants from Water
Technology Inc., endeavored to come
up with a plan that would provide the
necessary compliance improvements
as well as include features that the
community would find irresistible.
Working with landscape architects
La Terra Studio, the final design was
able to incorporate the surrounding
Dove Park elements while adding a
slew of new amenities to the pool,
like a lily pad walk, spray features, a
zero-depth beach entry area, in-water lounges, two slides, cabanas and

huge shade canopies courtesy of
Shade Systems.
Another big plus, Kashner-Fry
points out, is the merging of the existing splashpark with the new Dove
Waterpark. " Initially, filtration of
the splashpark was separate from the
pool systems and designed as a 'passthrough system.' This was changed
and integrated into the new pool filter system. This allows for the recapture and recycling of the water at the
splashpark preventing the water from
being used once and dumped down
the drain, " she writes.
Summer Fun in Shaded Style
The Dove Pool of old is now a bonafide 224,000-gallon waterpark where
visitors of all ages and abilities can
find respite from relentless Texas
summers. And, according to Assistant Director of Parks for the City
of Grapevine Kevin Mitchell, " The
response has been awesome. Patrons
have loved the added shade - especially the shade over the zero-entry
pool and play feature. " The Shade
Systems canopies are particularly
attractive, not just because they provide needed protection from the sun
- " The shade has helped to extend
the times of day patrons can use the
parks and facilities, " Mitchell adds.
That, plus fun, modern waterpark
additions designed to lure sweltering
citizens means more revenue for the
City and more poolside playtime.
Samantha Bartram is the Associate Editor
of Parks & Recreation Magazine (sbartram@
nrpa.org).

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