Waterslide expansion goes to planners Wednesday Waterslide expansion goes to planners Wednesday (December 05, 2003)

$7 million project could attract thousands
by Jeb Bing

Plans for a $7 million expansion of the waterslides at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park will go to the city Planning Commission on Wednesday in what could be a major debate over traffic concerns in Pleasanton.

Glenn Kierstead, who has owned and operated the California Splash concession under a contract with the East Bay Regional Park District since 1980, is proposing to turn the small park into a mid-size theme park for water enthusiasts. Modeled after Knott's Berry Farm's Soak City near Palm Springs, Kierstead's expanded park would include activities for young and old, including more challenging waterslides, a wave pool, a "Lazy River" family boat ride and a special area for corporate outings.

The new park would attract up to 200,000 visitors each year - or as many as 4,000 on its busiest days - from mid-May to mid-September when the facility would be open.

Last May, the Planning Commission reviewed Kierstead's request for a General Plan amendment that would be required for the expansion. It asked Kierstead and his development team to conduct sounds tests and traffic studies to determine the impact, if any, on neighborhoods behind the proposed park in the Vintage Hills area, and traffic congestion on Stanley Boulevard.

Although only five residents spoke in opposition to the waterslide park expansion, many others have sent e-mails and made phone calls to City Hall expressing concern about traffic increases the larger park might generate. With traffic also topping the list of concerns by those commenting in recent public hearings on the city's General Plan update, planners said they want to make sure that California Splash would not add to Pleasanton's traffic woes.

Results of those surveys, which will be presented at Wednesday's public hearing, showed that most visitors to the park would arrive about mid-day and leave periodically during the rest of the day, with no impact on morning rush hour traffic in Pleasanton and little on the evening rush hour. The park's heaviest traffic would be on weekends during the summer months, when other traffic on Stanley and connecting streets in Pleasanton is also the lightest, Kierstead said.

In a recent meeting with a committee of the Pleasanton Downtown Association, Kierstead said California Splash visitors would use the same main entrance off Stanley Boulevard that Shadow Cliffs visitors now use, but an extra entry lane would be added and the sales booth inside the park would be moved back to accommodate more cars without blocking Stanley. For now, he expects about 40 percent of waterslide customers to reach the park from First Street and another 40 percent from Valley Avenue, with the rest traveling on Stanley from Livermore.

Eventually, when El Charro Road is connected between Stanley and I-580, that would be promoted as the preferred route for reaching California Splash, he said.

Kierstead also said that the noise generated from the waterslide expansion "will be negligible."

"The level on sound generated from the project will be at 40 to 45 dBa (decibel) levels at the park boundary, which is less than the current ambient noise level," he said. "The elevated portions of the slide will be screened to the south and to the west by solid walls that surround the platforms."

He said the expansion will enable California Splash to offer recreational and family-focused water attractions that current customers have asked for. Still, it would be less than half the size of Raging Waters in San Jose and one-third smaller than Waterworld in Concord.

"I'm a local person, I've been around Pleasanton for a long time, and I have a good, existing facility that needs to be improved," Kierstead said. "Since 1981 when this current waterslides park opened, Pleasanton has expanded tremendously, while this facility has not. This will provide a great attraction for local residents who won't have to go elsewhere to enjoy water park activities, and it will provide jobs for young people."

At the PDA committee meeting, Jerry Lemm, a Pleasanton real estate investor, said the California Splash expansion would be a "great amenity to our city and a great way to attract more people to our downtown."

"We'll be getting an attraction that can help all of us who live here and help our downtown at no cost to taxpayers," he added. "Compare that to the $35 million we're spending to build a golf course."

City Planner Jerry Iserson said notices of Wednesday's public hearing on California Splash have been sent to the northernmost residents of Vintage Hills, and to all residents in the Hacienda and Vineyard Village mobile home parks and the Vista Diablo, Shadow Cliff and California Reflections neighborhoods.

He said Kierstead's application will the main issue before the Planning Commission at its 7 p.m. meeting Wednesday in the City Council chamber at 200 Old Bernal Ave. If approved, the application would still need to be considered and approved by the City Council.

More information about California Splash, including noise, traffic and water use studies it has conducted, can be found on its Web site at www.californiasplash.com.

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