The city is in the middle of having a feasibility study done on a proposed spray park in Memorial Park.

The spray park has been a goal for the Support Our Spray Park group since the park’s swimming pool closed in 2005.

Liane Chisholm, a retired Broad Street Elementary School teacher, has been leading the group since the beginning. It has raised nearly $35,000 over the years.

It used $17,000 of that money to pay for the feasibility study, which will examine the cost to build and maintain the park.

The study is being done by Pashek Associates of Pittsburgh and should be finished in a month.

Pashek Associates has done similar studies for other parks in the county, including the Cranberry Township Community Park.

Bob Good, a representative with Pashek Associates, could not be reached for comment.

Chisholm said the spray park group originally wanted a swimming pool, not a spray park, for the city’s children.

“It’s too costly to be at Alameda Park every day,” she said. “We wanted a pool that was in the city, within walking distance, and that was affordable.”

But it turned out it was not affordable for the city to have a pool, according to a feasibility study done five years ago.

Councilwoman Kathy Kline, who has been an advocate for the spray park since talks first arose, said a pool would cost the city more than $50,000 per year to maintain.

“We couldn’t afford that,” she said. “That’s why the pool was in the shape it was in.”

While disappointing, Chisholm said the group didn’t give up on bringing a water facility to the city.

“That’s when we switched efforts toward a spray park,” she said.

Kline, who oversaw the city’s parks and recreation department at that time, said the idea was perfect for the city.

“It was a great idea,” she said. “It’s something affordable for the city to maintain and give the children a water facility.”

Chisholm said the group has a preliminary “dream” rendition of what the park would look like. It would go where the vacant swimming pool is and would include water spouts shaped like animals and trees.

“It all depends on what we can afford though,” Chisholm said.

There is no estimate on the cost.

Kline hopes the city will work to get grants for the project and will work with other community agencies to raise money.

Chisholm said her group already has been in talks with the Butler AM Rotary Club about a possible partnership, depending on what the feasibility study says.

Chisholm said she is excited about the study being done.

“You better believe I’m excited,” she said. “I appreciate the renewed interest.”

Beyond bringing a park to the city, Chisholm said the movement has always been an educational opportunity more than anything.

“It was a good lesson for kids,” she said. “It shows even if you start with nothing, you can work together to for something good.”