Committee debates phased fix for Imagination Station surface after high estimate; staff proposes temporary engineered fiber plan

Parks staff told the committee the replacement estimate for the Imagination Station playground surface is about $400,000 and asked whether the committee supported a phased approach if full funding is not approved in this year’s budget.

Jonah Jacobson said contractors suggested a two-step option: demolish the existing surface and, as a temporary measure, fill the play area with engineered wood fiber (EWF) for one to two years, then return later to install the permanent poured surface when funds are available. Staff noted EWF and similar engineered materials meet fall-safety standards and can be reused at other sites if removed later.

Several committee members voiced concerns about a phased approach that leaves the site temporarily served by wood fiber. "I think it's such a safety concern that I was really gonna try and push it that it's a safety concern," member Shelley Reynolds said. Others agreed the committee should seek the full $400,000 in the budget and treat the EWF option strictly as a contingency if the larger appropriation fails.

Staff provided additional details: contractors estimated installation could take eight to 12 weeks; a temporary EWF fill could be removed and reused elsewhere; and some city leaders expressed concern about starting demolition without a guaranteed follow-up appropriation. Committee members asked staff to pursue full funding but to retain the phased option as a backup. No formal vote was taken on the financing approach; committee members asked staff to include the preferred full-replacement ask in upcoming budget materials and to keep the contingency plan as an alternate approach.