Tigard’s Universal Plaza Splash Pad was closed for the summer after its plan review application was not approved by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). At a June 24 city council meeting, Tigard Parks and Recreation Manager Rick Gruen said they were in the process of seeking contractors to modify the splash pad to meet OHA standards.
“The quick and dirty of it, mayor, is we discovered that the prior property project team did not engage with the Oregon Health Authority prior to the start of construction, to go through what’s called a plan review,” Gruen reported at the June 24 city council meeting. “You’d think about it as kind of like a building permit.”
At their June 24 council meeting, councilors were updated on the state of the splash pads by officials from parks and recreation and community development. The agenda item was added by Tigard Mayor Yi-Kang Hu, who explained that “community members had questions about it.”
Gruen and Tigard Community Development Director Sambo Kirkman updated council members on the evolving timeline for the splash pad closure and pointed to past problems with proper permitting as the culprit behind the summer postponement. Gruen strongly emphasized that the quality of the splash pad water was not in question.
“While we’re operating in full compliance, all of my staff are certified pool operators and public safety has never been in question,” Gruen said. “The regulations that were in place in 2022, prior to construction, are not the same regulations that are in place as of today.”
Councilors expressed frustrations with the delay, councilor Heather Robbins telling Gruen that the situation was “a big mistake.”
“This is a big mistake to have had happened,” Robbins said. “It’s a little disappointing that we found out about this last year, so at least six months ago, and we still don’t have a project team in place.”
Gruen explained that the timeline had been prolonged by a lengthy communication process with OHA, and that initial correspondence began in fall of 2025. He said that Tigard’s Parks and Recreation Department didn’t know exactly where the approval of the splash pad stood until about “six weeks” before the meeting.
“We cannot open the splash pad until we get the corrective work done,” Gruen told the council. “We’re hoping by the end of summer we’ll have some recommendations to bring back to you.”
Gruen told councilors that he’d reached out to two engineering companies familiar with water features and that until the city had a “design team and project team assembled,” they would not be able to move forward with addressing OHA’s requirements for the splash pad.
After modifications are addressed and the system is approved by OHA, it will move to Washington County Health for final licensing approval. According to the city’s website, “the splash pad cannot operate without a license from Washington County.”
Specifics surrounding splash pad corrections were not discussed in detail at the June 24 meeting, but OHA’s letter to the city, sent on April 28, specified that the Universal Plaza Splash Pads required multiple corrections to meet aquatic facility design standards, like installing a UV disinfection system after the feature pump and fixing uneven tiles.
“Several areas of the deck and basin have tiles/pavers that are uneven, which create a tripping or abrasion hazard,” reads the letter. “Corners and sharp edges must be rounded and elevation differences between each tile/paver must not exceed ¼ inch.”
The City of Tigard Facebook page posted about the splash pad closure on June 24, writing, “City staff are working with contractors and specialty engineers to evaluate options and next steps. Recommendations will be presented to City Council this fall. We know this is disappointing and appreciate the community’s patience as we work to ensure the splash pad can operate safely and reliably for years to come.”
Councilors asked Tigard Community Development and Tigard Parks and Recreation staff to be more hands-on with future projects, while thanking them for their commitment to resolving the current situation.
“This was in the top five requests of our community,” Councilor Jeanette Shaw said. “To all the staff who worked on this, I just want to say thank you. We’re gonna get there.”
Universal Plaza opened on April 15, 2023 and reportedly cost $5.6 million in tax increment financing. Hu referenced prior problems with Universal Plaza’s construction at the meeting.
“The parks should be involved from the very beginning with the design and my understanding is that that didn’t happen and that was a huge mistake,” Hu said. “I know it’s not your fault personally, but it’s the city’s collective fault so we need to take responsibility and move forward.”
