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Council hears plans for Fruit Valley Park playground, Cooney Foundation adds funding; parks staff say play area aimed at ages 5'12
Summary
Councilors discussed Fruit Valley Park's playground replacement and related park needs April 14, praising additional grant funding from the Cooney Foundation and confirming the current playground design is targeted at roughly 5'12-year-old users.
The Vancouver City Council discussed Fruit Valley Park's playground replacement and other park improvements during consent-item review on April 14. Councilors praised the Cooney Foundation's additional grant support and asked staff about the park's age focus and future phases.
Councilor Fox said she was "absolutely ecstatic" that the Cooney Foundation not only provided an initial grant for the replacement playground but had stepped forward with additional funds to cover increased costs. The item had been pulled from the consent agenda for brief discussion; council ultimately approved the consent package that included the park items.
Dave Perlick, Director of Parks and Recreational Services, and Terry Snyder, the first capital program manager, described the playground design and outreach. Perlick said the replacement playground aims to "preserve the sort of more traditional play, sports based, programmatic elements" while also broadening the department's "toolbox" to increase inclusiveness and activity across ages. Snyder said Fruit Valley Park "was geared towards 5 to 12 year olds" in the current replacement-phase design and that staff are considering how to incorporate designs that better serve teenagers (for example, face-to-face seating and observation points) and community meeting needs.
Councilors asked whether a community structure removed for safety reasons would be replaced in a future phase; staff said they are coordinating with Community Development on a planned Fruit Valley community-based planning effort and that future phases could include picnic shelters, gathering spaces or restrooms if funding is available.
Parks staff also noted the recreation division had secured a competitive grant: "We are 1 of 52 parks and rec organizations in the nation that are receiving this grant in this phase," Perlick said, describing the grant as an opportunity to expand programs beyond traditional youth sports and to support camps and activities that build social-emotional skills.
The consent agenda motion to approve items including the Fruit Valley Park project passed (moved by Reyes, seconded by Fox). Staff said future community-based planning will inform subsequent park phases and funding-dependent components.
