The preferred location for the new play equipment at Golden Gardens Park has been selected, now schematic design alternatives for the play area are being drawn up.
At last week’s public meeting, it was agreed that the location of the new play equipment should be just to the east of the Golden Gardens Bathhouse, shown to the right in the top part of the red. (Click here for a large drawing of the site analysis .pdf). This space is approximately 10,000 square feet, which is much larger than the current 2,800 square foot area. This new location is near the ADA parking stalls, near restrooms and away from traffic. An internal design review team with the Parks Department will look at this location later this month and make the final decision as to whether or not this location will work, Virginia Hassinger, the project manager with the Parks Department, tells us.
Twenty people attended the meeting and provided feedback on what the play structures should look like, if there should be a theme and the appropriate age groups to focus on. “While the project scope focuses on children ages 2‐12 we also heard from a strong advocate for inclusion of teen elements, a request for adult exercise equipment, a request for environmental education signage, and an advocate for inclusion of a slack line within the Park,” the meeting notes state (.pdf).
The play area is being relocated from the current high-traffic location and to allow more play equipment, the Parks Department website states. The new play equipment will also meet the standards and provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The next meeting will be held in mid-May when the schematic design alternatives for the play equipment will be revealed. There will be a third meeting with the final design presentation in June. Construction is slated to start in January of 2011 and a completion of May 2011, Hassinger tells us. This project is funded through the 2008 Parks & Green Spaces Levy.
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Sounds like a great first step. Can't wait to see whether the next schematic can fit in all the requirements. That's when things really get interesting – when choices have be wittled down.
The only thing I didn't like was this:
“Adult fitness would be good, maybe in different location, not as “visible”; this could include teens”
Adult fitness is fine, and even putting that in a less visible space is fine too. But anything built for teens at Golden Gardens should be VERY visible. I don't know about you, but if I see a bunch of teens huddling and trying to not be visible, that usually doesn't equate to something positive.