(Slides and pools inside the former Raging Waters, which shut down in 2018. Photo: Paul Nelson)
SALT LAKE CITY– Officials in Glendale are asking the public to weigh in on the fate of what used to be Raging Waters, and some nearby residents say it needs a major safety upgrade. Raging Waters was once was a popular water park, but for people living nearby, it’s an eyesore.
Ever since the Raging Waters/Seven Peaks Water Park shut down in 2018, residents of Glendale claim it has been overrun with weeds and graffiti. Ifa Motuliki has lived in the area since the late 1970s and he said the abandoned park has become a magnet for the homeless and people living in their vehicles.
“I don’t understand why the city doesn’t move them somewhere, but it’s a headache for me to see that,” Motuliki said.
Motuliki believes the RVs are more than just an eyesore. He said the people living in those vehicles leave a tremendous amount of trash and they’ve even targeted homes to rob.
Motuliki put a security camera in his back yard after seeing strangers wandering through his neighbors’ property.
“That’s really scary for our neighborhood,” he said.
The Glendale Community Council hosted an online meeting, asking people to give their input into what should happen to what once was Raging Waters. People like Rafael Miranda claim they don’t miss the parking problems that would happen along his street during the park’s most popular days, but he misses having a place for his kids to go and have fun.
Miranda said, “Now, we just look at it, and it’s kind of sad.”
(The remnants of the wave pool at the water park. Salt Lake City officials say this was the world’s third wave machine. Photo: Paul Nelson)
Salt Lake City officials say the pools have been leaking since the area was abandoned, plus there have been multiple fires, a lot of the equipment has been stolen and the wiring has been stripped, so all of the park’s infrastructure will be taken down. The property was purchased with Utah Land and Water Conservation funds, so developers can’t use it for business or residential use.
Miranda has some ideas about what he would like to see.
He said, “There is a bunch of kids in this neighborhood, so I would like to see something built for the kids. [I’d] like a big water park, like something they have in Liberty Park.”
Others would like to see the city install a safe place for senior citizens to meet.
