Can families reclaim the spray ground at Prince Gateway Park in Santa Rosa?

Work is well underway to reopen the water feature at Prince Gateway Park, but it remains to be seen whether the city can restore a family-friendly atmosphere to the tiny patch of downtown green space.

The “spray ground” was a popular feature at the park just across Santa Rosa Avenue from City Hall when it opened in 2008. On summer days parents hung out while their children frolicked in the water jets that shot up from the ground beside the park’s large fish sculpture.

But the water was soon turned off after it was discovered the feature didn’t comply with more stringent state regulations governing such facilities, including the requirement for bathrooms and water filtration.

The park, at the eastern end of the Prince Memorial Greenway, quickly became a litter-strewn hangout for young people and transients.

“It’s definitely a hot spot,” said 19-year-old Ethan Werby as he walked through the park recently on his way to work at the Santa Rosa Plaza mall.

Standing on a patch of dirt covered in cigarette butts and beside a recycling can overflowing with pizza boxes and liquor bottles, Werby said he doesn’t hang out in the park anymore.

“It seems like every time I walk by, someone asks me if I want to buy some weed,” Werby said.

The City Council last year committed $800,000 to upgrade and reopen the park, and work got underway in early summer.

Crews in recent weeks have installed a building that houses two bathrooms, an outdoor shower and pump and filtration equipment.

Workers also have revamped the filtration system to bring it up to the same health standard as pools.

“This is considered by the health department to be a swimming pool even though it’s really a fountain,” said Patrick Durkin, project manager for California Waters, the contractor on the project.

The project is expected to be completed in a few weeks.

Homeless advocates have long argued that more public restrooms are needed downtown. But whether the park can be managed in such a way that it serves the needs of families with young children as well as the homeless is unclear.

Parks officials declined to discuss their management strategy for the park, saying it hasn’t been approved by City Manager Sean McGlynn.

Councilwoman Julie Combs said she believes the park can serve the needs of a diverse populace.

“I think that we need to find the balance between the rights of families and children to use the space and the rights of people who many not be housed,” Combs said.

She said she’s proud of the city for keeping its promise to the community and getting the water feature open again. And she notes that if someone is homeless and living by the creek, it’s a good thing that there will now be another bathroom for them to use downtown.

Combs predicts that if the city polices the park properly, including issuing citations for smoking - which is illegal in city parks - then once the water feature is turned back on in coming weeks, families will reclaim the area.

“If we can activate that space and get it moving and get a lot of people there and eyes on it and little kids, I think it’ll be a better place,” Combs said.

You can reach Staff Writer Kevin McCallum at 707-521-5207 or kevin.mccallum@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @srcitybeat.