Leetsdale Borough may soon boast a new water park, but some residents were left drowning in confusion.

Council unanimously approved a $96,960 bid from Tito Pollice Company in Pittsburgh for the first phase of the Henle Park Water Park project. It came as a shock to residents in attendance who felt council did not consider the advice of experts concerning the location of the park.

"They completely disregarded any of the information we provided them or the guidance of Mike Masiuk, the Penn State Extension educator who assessed the trees in Henle Park," said Judy Fulton of Leetsdale.

Masiuk wrote a letter to council stating that a potential site, near an existing sandbox and swing set, would be the safest place for the water park for the well-being of the existing trees, many of which are more than 100 years old.

The site ultimately chosen by council at last week's meeting, is closest to a war memorial, near a volleyball net.

"It smacked of resentment because we worked hard to get their attention and point out possible difficulties with the water feature," Fulton said of council's decision.

Roger Nanni, council president, felt otherwise.

He said he and council listened to the concerns of residents and talked to hundreds of people, who supported the project because they wanted more recreational facilities in the borough. He said council the location chosen was the least invasive of the locations.

Jim Edson, certified arborist, however, disagreed. In a letter addressed to council on May 13, he listed several measures that must be taken in order to preserve the health and life of the trees in Henle Park that would be subjected to the stress of construction in the area.

Edson said it was imperative that an arborist be enlisted to devise a preservation plan for all of the trees that would be impacted by the project before construction begins, including installing temporarily fencing to keep equipment away from trees, soil analysis and fertilization of all impacted trees.

"The cost of removing these trees would be several thousand dollars if they succomb due to damage during the construction process," he wrote.

"An even worse scenario would be if one of them would fall onto the splash pad due to the loss of support roots."

"We're putting it in a part of the park where there are no trees right around there. Not in the immediate vicinity," Nanni said.

"We don't expect to disturb any trees with this."

In addition to preserving the trees, residents also shared safety and aesthetic concerns, and possible liability issues over the splash pad and its location.

Nanni, however, said that the splash pad will be in a place where it can easily be seen by police patrolling the area. He said that it would be more hidden if they had chosen the other location.

He added that the water park project, as part of a master plan in the community which includes improving docks and putting in trails along the river front and building a skate park at the Washington Street park, will attract younger families to the area.

"We don't feel that their concerns are valid," he said of the group of citizens in opposition of the plan.

"This isn't something we decided to do two days ago. We've been working on it for years."

Leetsdale Borough, in cooperation with the Quaker Valley Council of Governments, secured a $74,800 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for the first phase of the project.

They are currently working to reallocate a $10,000 grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that was previously awarded to the borough for a different project.

The combined total of $84,800 is still approximately $12,000 short of the overall cost of the site one phase one plan.

Dan Slagle, borough engineer, told council that to offset some of the cost, they should purchase the foundation, but wait until the second phase to include other features, like the tipping buckets, which would save around $11,000 on the project.

Council directed Slagle at last week's meeting to look for ways to secure money for the second phase, which includes expanding the facility.

Though some residents expressed that they would like to see the plan tossed out altogether, others were simply hoping for it to be done correctly and in the best interest of the existing park.

"It was never our intention to divide this community," Fulton said about the project.

Her husband and former council member, Joe McGurk, agreed.

"I think it's a good thing to have, but in the right area."