The top priority on Allegheny County's "Things To Do" list won't make as big a splash at Settler's Cabin Park this summer as those leagues of competitive divers will.

Still, county Parks Director Andrew Baechle said that work to extend Greer Road through the entire park will be much appreciated by parkgoers.

So, too, will the storm-related electrical repairs to the tennis complex that should be completed by Memorial Day weekend.

Greer Road traverses north to south, beginning off Ridge Road near the wave pool. But it dead ends in the middle of the park at the main office, Mr. Baechle said. The southern half was abandoned years ago and is blocked off by concrete barriers.

"It's open half the way so we were thinking of opening all of that up," he said, enabling visitors to gain access to parts of the park that they couldn't get to before.

The project is in the planning and design phase so construction should begin soon, though a completion date hasn't been set.

The Greer Road project is highlighted in a countywide parks master plan released last fall. The priorities outlined by County Executive Dan Onorato followed a companion revenue analysis by the American Institute for Leisure Resources.

Some of the suggestions that applied to Settlers Park were privatizing the tennis and pool operations, plus looking for some help with the Walker Ewing historical log cabin.

Another possibility that drew less enthusiastic support from Mr. Baechle was establishing a golf course.

"That's long-term, if ever," he said, because "really I think the market's saturated with golf courses."

Mr. Baechle was more open to exploring the possibility of hiring a private contractor to operate fee-generating operations. At the top of the list, he said, were the tennis courts systemwide.

"The Settlers Cabin tennis courts are one of the five that we hope to get a contract on this year, someone to run our tennis courts. It could be one contract or it could be a la carte," he said, adding that the key was finding someone willing to do some extras, such as a racket-stringing service.

"We would want those folks to improve the facility and increase the programming. We're looking for a double win there," he said.

In a similar vein, Mr. Baechle would be happy to field pool-related bids from someone receptive to new ways to generate revenue.

"We could do scuba lessons, kayak lessons. There's a lot of neat things you could do at the pool."

Most county parks have a signature feature, such as the lake at North Park, the stables at Hartwood Acres, the fairgrounds at South Park and the ski slopes at Boyce. Settler's most prized revenue source is its pool complex, which is second to none in the county network.

"The wave pool at Settler's Cabin always has the highest attendance of any of our four pools," Mr. Baechle said, adding that the complex's popularity is fueled by the presence of the county's only diving pool, complete with impact-smoothing bubbler, three platforms and underwater windows.