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Jackson Park plan unveiled By Damian Mann Updated: Aug 26, 2022 02:55 PM A A A master plan to renovate Jackson Park sets the stage for a splash pad and other features for this west Medford neighborhood A rendering shows the Jackson Park Renovation Master Plan. The master plan will serve as a road map, but details of the plans could vary depending on circumstances in the future, officials said. [city of Medford] Jackson Park’s aging swimming pool will be demolished in the next few years, but Medford officials plan to replace it with a splash pad. The Parks and Recreation Commission adopted a master plan Aug. 23 for the 7.8-acre park next to Jackson Elementary, at the corner of Summit Avenue and Clark Street. A survey of community members living within a quarter mile of the park showed support for a splash pad to replace the pool, and for locating the splash pad in the same location as the pool. The existing pool, opened in 1960, leaks 5,000 to 7,000 gallons of water a day and has been in danger of closing over the past 10 years. “It’s an ongoing and unpreventable aspect of trying to keep that pool open as long we need to keep it open,” said Rich Rosenthal, director of Medford Parks and Recreation. “It’s nothing short of a miracle that the pool is still serving the Medford community after 62 years.” Two year-round, indoor pools are being built at Howard Memorial Park in the new Rogue X aquatics and events center, which will replace the one in Jackson Park and the former pool at Hawthorne Park. The pool at Jackson Park will celebrate 63 years of operation in 2023 and will be demolished sometime after that. Rosenthal said the Jackson Park master plan provides a road map for the park, but cost estimates for the remodel haven’t been developed yet. “This is just the necessary next step that brings us closer,” he said. Rosenthal said the splash pad will likely be the most expensive portion of the park remodel. "I wouldn’t be surprised if a very large splash pad carried a price close to $1 million,” he said. Work already has begun to rehabilitate Fagone Field inside the park. A small dog park near the proposed splash pad will require fencing, but it shouldn’t be a big-ticket item, Rosenthal said. Resurfacing the basketball courts should also be a relatively straightforward project, he said. The splash pads and other work could be completed over the next six years, Rosenthal estimated, anticipating the city will solicit grants to help with the construction costs. Other features that will be added to the park include expansion of pathways, a bike skills area, a sand volleyball court, a pollinator garden, a playground, a covered pavilion and new restrooms. Rosenthal said the new features likely will be added in phases as funding becomes available. The Parks and Recreation Commission had reviewed three draft concepts for Jackson Park. Rosenthal said the master plan will serve as a road map, but the plans could vary depending on circumstances in the future. Medford has been working on refurbishing many of its local parks in recent years and expanding its park offerings in west Medford. Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at [email protected].