Lacey board approves tugboat-themed playground at Bush Park, majority of cost covered by grants and Rotary donations

The Lacey Parks, Culture and Recreation Board voted Oct. 1 to install a tugboat‑themed playground at Bush Park, replacing a roughly 30‑year‑old structure intended for 5‑to‑12‑year‑old children.

Jenny Wilson, parks planner for the City of Lacey, told the board the city collected about 460 community votes on four design options and “the clear winner from all of the community events was the tugboat design.” The board moved and approved the staff recommendation to adopt the community‑preferred design.

The decision follows a months‑long outreach process that included an open house at Horizon Elementary and on‑site events at the park. Wilson said the tugboat concept received about 48 percent of the community votes; the next two options — described as airplane and stream themes — each received roughly 20 percent.

Why it matters: the project replaces the oldest playground in the city’s inventory and uses external funding to limit the city’s capital outlay. Wilson told the board the playground equipment itself is estimated at about $300,000. Gateway Rotary has raised $110,000 to support the replacement, and the city secured a grant from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office that could supply up to $220,000. The total project budget is listed at $442,000 in the board packet, which includes equipment, engineering and other site work.

Board members discussed site constraints before voting. Wilson said the school‑yard play area that will host the structure measures roughly 40 by 60 feet, which limits the amount and layout of swings and other clearance‑intensive elements. She noted one slide element is about 8 feet tall and that maintenance and vandalism are ongoing considerations for long‑term durability. The board also said a recognition sign for Gateway Rotary will be placed at the site, with exact wording to be determined later.

The board approved the motion without a recorded roll‑call tally. The packet notes the replacement playground covers active play elements and inclusive social features such as memory panels and tic‑tac‑toe panels; the toddler play area at the site will remain in place because it is newer.

Next steps: staff said they will meet with the playground manufacturer to refine details (for example, lowering highly visible decorative elements that might encourage climbing) and will proceed with final design and procurement under the project budget and external funding commitments.

Sources: presentation and discussion at the Oct. 1 Lacey Parks, Culture and Recreation Board meeting; project materials included in the board packet.