Sports

Santee Lakes Cable Wakeboard Park Development Canceled

The anticipated wakeboard and waterski cable park at the Santee Lakes is no longer in development.

The ’s Board of Directors voted Tuesday at their that they would discontinue development of a cable ski and wakeboard park at the .

In 2008 Padre Dam entered into an agreement with Sudweeks Development LLC to develop and operate the park, with an originally anticipated opening date of spring 2011. But, mostly due to the in-availability of financing in the current economic situation, the developer said it was unable to proceed with the project. Sudweeks requested a settlement in the matter, according to Padre Dam.

The cable ski park would have operated like a chair-lift on a mountain, using a "horizontal cable suspended on towers and propelled by solar powered electric motors to pull water skiers and wakeboarders around a lake." Such parks are common in Europe and Asia, but only five exist in the United States. The Santee park would have been the only one west of Texas, according to Padre Dam.

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“We saw the cable ski park as a new and exciting family recreation opportunity, and as an innovative use of recycled water for recreation, which is what Santee Lakes is all about,” said Padre Dam’s General Manager, Allen Carlisle.  The project included a restaurant, pro shop and recreational beach area, as well. 

Plans for the park went so far as to be approved by the Santee City Council in a close 3-2 vote under some vehement criticism by residents in 2008, after being approved by the .

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The water district released this statement: "At this time, Padre Dam MWD has no plans to pursue another developer for the Cable Ski Park at Santee Lakes. District staff and the Board will continue to evaluate and consider recreational opportunities for the benefit of the community."


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