Goleta is getting a splash pad.

Crews are working fast and furiously to finish the water feature at Jonny D. Wallis Park in Old Town Goleta.

Kelly Hoover, the public information officer for the City of Goleta, said the goal is to open the splash pad to the community by the start of summer.

A few minutes away, crews are building a community garden at Armitos Park. The City of Goleta plans to issue a news release on Tuesday asking residents to apply for community garden plot spaces.

“The Old Town neighborhood — and anyone who visits it — deserve to have a wide range of recreational assets to allow and encourage the playful enjoyment of the outdoors,” Goleta City Councilman Kyle Richards said. “The splash pad, and the associated improvements at Armitos Park, will further enhance and expand the recreational opportunities in this area of the city.”

The splash pad project was supposed to begin last summer but didn’t actually begin until November.

“There were some supply chain issues that we ran into, and we could not get some of the prefabricated items for the equipment room that will house the splash pad machinery,” Richards said.

The splash pad construction is happening in stages.

The basketball and pickleball courts, yoga area and end of the parking lot are closed as part of the splash pad construction. The picnic areas remain open on a first-come, first-served basis.

Phase two, expected to start soon, will close the entire southern section of the park, including the playground, but the skate park will remain open for use. Simultaneously, the new playground at neighboring Armitos Park will open before the Jonny D. Wallis Park closes, so there’s always a playground open.

The final stage will close the field for the installation of shade structures over the picnic areas.

“These projects, the splash pad, community garden, bike path extension, represent the city making good on its commitment to Old Town and its residents,” Richards said.

City Councilman James Kyriaco said he is excited about the changes.

“The splash pad will be the latest in a long line of improvements in Old Town that will enhance the quality of life for residents, especially children and youth,” Kyriaco said.