April 15, 2024 |
Photo – Hobo Hot Pools in Saratoga – Bigfoot99 file photo
The town of Saratoga hopes to use state funding to upgrade the Hobo Hot Pools.
During the April 2nd Saratoga town council meeting, Recreation Director Kim Hemenway said she applied for a $588,000 grant from the Wyoming Office of Tourism. Hemenway said she’ll use the grant money to make improvements to the town’s famous hot springs.
Hemenway said she only had two weeks to complete and submit the grant application. Despite the tight deadline, the recreation director said she managed to receive several letters of support from local organizations.
In her letter of support, Carbon County Visitor’s Council Chief Executive Officer Leslie Jefferson said she supports the proposed improvements to the town’s hot springs, known as the Spring Creek Project. Jefferson said, “the Spring Creek Project would enhance access to the outdoor recreation amenities in the area, improving safety along the riverfront and throughout the area.”
Hemenway also received letters of support from Platte Valley Community Center Executive Director Joe Elder and Danny Burau, owner of the Malt restaurant. Hemenway told the Saratoga town council that she asked for a $588,206 grant. The rec director said she hopes to begin the improvements to the Hobo Hot Pools this year.
The town will need to provide a $145,256.25 match. Mayor Chuck Davis said the town will use the time and labor of its public works crews to cover the grant match. Mayor Davis said he would like to have a restroom installed by the North Platte River.
A new public restroom isn’t the only improvement the town plans to make to the Hobo Hot Pools. Mayor Davis explained some of the other proposed upgrades. The mayor said the plans won’t be finalized until after they know if the town has been approved for the grant.
Mayor Davis said the project is still in the early planning stages. The mayor said the Army Corp of Engineers will need to be involved with any alterations to the riverbank. The town council will hold a meeting to discuss the proposed improvements to the Hobo Hot Pools if the grant application is approved.
