ESCONDIDO — Using a combination of state and federal funds, the city plans to replace nearly half of its playground structures with modernized, inclusive equipment at parks throughout the city over the summer.
On May 8, Escondido City Council approved using approximately $521,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to replace playground equipment for toddlers/preschoolers (ages 2 to 5) and children (5 to 12) at Jesmond Dene, Westside and Washington parks.
Additionally, the council also agreed to use a $892,000 grant from the San Diego County Park Improvement Project to replace similar equipment at Mountain View and Kit Carson parks.
Both projects will replace 11 of the city’s 23 playgrounds. The city will purchase playground equipment through Sourcewell with Miracle Recreation Equipment Company.
According to staff, these parks were prioritized due to their age and the need for playground equipment replacement.
Parks Superintendent Wayne Thames said the structures have experienced a handful of aging failures over the last few years that could not be completely fixed or replaced because the original manufacturer discontinued replacement parts or went out of business altogether.
At the Kit Carson Tree Lake play structure, for example, one of the slides had to be removed and replaced with a wall panel because the manufacturer no longer made replacement slides for that model.
If the structures are left as is, the city could have to remove them completely, like the playground train for children ages 2 to 5 at the East Valley Community Center.
Thames said the new playgrounds will feature inclusive designs that enable children with disabilities to play independently.
“Inclusivity is much more than providing wheelchair access,” Thames said. “Wheelchair and other visible mobility impairments account for a small fraction of disabilities; the majority are invisible and include a broad range of cognitive or physical impairments.”
The community also got a say in the new playground designs after staff installed signage at the parks that asked visitors which options they preferred. The city received 738 responses overall.
The council members were enthusiastic about the new equipment.
“I love the designs,” said Mayor Dane White. “All of these are fantastic upgrades.”
Mountain View and Kit Carson’s playground replacements are expected to be complete by July, while Jesmond Dene, Washington and Westside replacements are expected to be finished by the end of August.
The playgrounds at Grove Park, El Norte Park, the East Valley Community Center and the Don E. Anderson building will be replaced using CDBG funding next. The city has yet to identify funding to replace the aging structures at McLeod Park and Lake Dixon Hilltop Park.
