CHESAPEAKE BEACH, MD — At the upcoming Town Council Work Session on September 10, 2024, Chesapeake Beach officials will review concept plans for a significant renovation of the 29-year-old Chesapeake Beach Water Park. These plans follow a detailed third-party geotechnical analysis which concluded that repairing the current park would be both dangerous and futile due to severe subbase degradation.
Engineers involved in the geotechnical study conducted extensive testing, including eighty-foot borings, to assess the existing subbase and subsoil conditions beneath the park. The results revealed that the current state of the park’s foundation cannot be repaired safely, necessitating a complete overhaul of the park’s infrastructure.
The required reconstruction will involve the demolition of existing facilities and the installation of reinforcements to stabilize the subbase. This approach addresses the unsafe conditions caused by confined spaces, which pose significant risks such as crushing, burying, drowning, or asphyxiation of workers. The full findings and recommendations from the Town Engineer can be viewed here.
Jay Berry, the Town’s Public Works Administrator, emphasized the project’s necessity, stating, “We have learned from the known site conditions and look forward to a new and improved Water Park that is not only safe for the public but also safe for Town staff to access and maintain.”
The park’s deterioration is partly due to its location on a drained and filled wetland, which was not suitable to support the oversized design of the original infrastructure. This has led to ongoing maintenance challenges for the Town’s Public Works staff, as previously discussed in several Town meetings.
The September 10 session, to be held at 6 PM at Chesapeake Beach Town Hall, will also be live-streamed for public viewing on the Town’s channel here. During the meeting, residents will have the opportunity to view the proposed concept plans, which include various new features such as slides, a lazy river, pools, and an interactive splash pad. The plans were developed with input from the community, and further citizen feedback will be sought to finalize a concept that meets their needs and expectations.
Additional information on the status of the Water Park can be accessed here.
