FOSTORIA | Wood County Plays Completes Inclusive Playground Amid Mayor’s Missed Splash Pad Completion Date Again

FOSTORIA — Wood County Plays has successfully completed and opened its long-awaited inclusive playground in Fostoria, delivering a fully accessible play space for children of all abilities. However, the city’s paired splash pad project remains stalled amid ongoing criticism of Mayor Don Mennel’s planning and leadership failures.

Grand Opening Celebrated

The inclusive playground at 524 River St held its Grand Opening on Thursday, June 25 at 4:00 PM with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The project, led by the nonprofit Wood County Plays, features state-of-the-art inclusive equipment including a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, sensory tunnel, adaptive zip line, poured rubber surfacing, and zoned areas for different age groups.

thefostoriafreepress.com congratulates Wood County Plays on delivering this community asset on schedule despite broader project challenges.

Splash Pad Delays Draw Sharp Criticism

While the playground is now open, the adjacent splash pad — once promised as a complementary family destination — has missed multiple deadlines, including a mid-June 2026 target. Public records and reporting by the Fostoria Free Press show Mayor Mennel never sought demolition bids in the year the project was supposed to advance, leading to significant under-budgeting and costly delays.

Critics point to negligent planning: the project was underfunded by hundreds of thousands of dollars, and demolition bids were only pursued after pressure from local media. Many Fostorians now question when — or if — the splash pad will ever be completed under the current administration.

“Despite Wood County Plays delivering the inclusive playground on time, the city splash pad remains stalled due to poor planning by Mayor Don Mennel.”

This marks another missed milestone in a campaign promise that has repeatedly slipped. Residents continue to express frustration as the playground stands ready while the water feature lags far behind.

Read more coverage and updates at thefostoriafreepress.com