Park revenue falls as access tightens

By Christine Schweickert, Fort Jackson LeaderSeptember 18, 2015

Dog Day Afternoon
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Dog Day Afternoon
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Dog Day Afternoon
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Dog Day Afternoon
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Dog Day Afternoon
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Tougher security measures slowed visits to Palmetto Falls Water Park to a trickle this summer.

Final figures on the number of visitors and amount of revenue generated are not yet available, but those who manage the park said the season was extremely slow.

Typically, Sundays are the slowest day at the water park, said Michael Garcia, branch chief for sports, fitness and aquatics for the Directorate of Morale, Welfare and Recreation. But this year?

"We had a season of Sundays," Garcia lamented on Friday.

Looking for a silver lining, Garcia added that because the hiring process also was slower as the result of federal demand for more extensive background checks, "it was good that we didn't have enough customers."

The park hired 120 workers this summer, said water park director Sang Pak.

"It was the security at the gate that really killed us," Pak said -- too many people just couldn't get onto post.

"The newly imposed … practices with force protection did affect business," Garcia confirmed -- and "rightly so."

Fred Vasquez is chief of physical security for Fort Jackson.

"Guards merely follow procedures and directives," Vasquez said. "Fort Jackson has access-control requirements that must be followed."

Last March, Fort Jackson was one of the first military installations in the country to meet tougher security standards implemented in late 2014. The new regulations require visitors, contractors and other civilians to undergo background checks and receive temporary ID cards in order to come on post.

Both Pak and Garcia said they would rather ensure that park visitors were safe, rather than worry about revenue.

This summer also saw no serious injuries, Garcia said, so "we still had a successful season."

Historically, the park has generated all of the money for payroll, operation and maintenance from visitor revenue, Garcia said.

The fact that revenue has dropped precipitously does not mean the park will close, both men said -- although Garcia added that new ways of paying for the park's operation would have to be considered.

"Even though the bean counters want to count dollars," he said, no one will close the park because "we're here to serve Soldiers."

The park ended the season Saturday with Dog Day for the pooches of military families only.

Until next season, the park pools will lie idle behind their security fences. They will not be drained because draining promotes cracking, Pak said.