McMinnville officials are being urged to move forward with a water feature on The Lot.
According to Alderman Steve Harvey, a local family is offering to help the city financially.
“There is a family that has committed for some private donation I think would be significant,” said Harvey. “We don’t have an amount yet. They want to know how much it’s going to cost before deciding what they would donate. I do feel like it will be a significant amount of money.”
The information was presented during a joint meeting of the Safety Committee and Building and Grounds Committee on Tuesday.
This is the second time officials have discussed a water feature on The Lot. Approximately 10 years ago, the city considered installing a water park and band shell, complete with restrooms, bike rack and sidewalks. To date, no actual plans or designs have been under consideration.
Cost for a water feature can vary, says Harvey.
“I’ve seen price estimates from $40,000 to $200,000,” he said. “You can spend anything you want on whatever you want. It’s back to the same old problem we always have. Until you know what you want and have a design to show somebody, you don’t know what it will cost.”
City administrator Bill Brock and McMinnville Parks and Recreation director Scott McCord were asked to gather information about interactive water features and report back.