Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Inclusive Playground topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Oak Harbor seeks design proposals for inclusive Windjammer playground; city has set aside $400,000 toward project
Summary
The commission approved moving forward with an RFP to design and permit an inclusive, 15,000–16,000 sq. ft. playground at Windjammer Park, while staff outlined estimated overall costs and grant timing; commissioners asked consultants to consider shoreline setbacks and accessibility.
The Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission voted on Oct. 13, 2025, to proceed with a request for proposals (RFP) to produce design, permitting and construction documents for an inclusive playground at Windjammer Park.
Parks staff presented a 6- to 15-amenity concept focused on universal access. The project scope in the RFP calls for a roughly 15,000–16,000-square-foot inclusive play environment with pour-in-place accessible surfacing, sensory and quiet elements, separate age zones and fencing. Staff highlighted that the City had appropriated $400,000 from Windjammer funds as the city’s match for grant applications; staff also reported a preliminary overall project cost estimate of about $1.4 million and said the city had roughly $150,000 in in-kind commitments and contractor interest toward the community portion of the budget.
Brian said the RFP will include deliverables necessary to make the project shovel-ready for state Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant competitions in February, and that staff would pursue permitting, design and renderings to improve grant competitiveness. The RFP also requests optional project-management services to assist with the construction phase.
Commissioners asked that proposed consultants take shoreline-change projections into account when evaluating site options. Commissioner Denise Marion noted state estimates of sea-level rise and storm surge and asked staff to ask proposers to factor long-term shoreline changes into site-selection and permitting analysis. Staff showed the commission that the preferred Windjammer location would be on the park’s west side and about 100–180 feet from the high-water mark; staff said final siting and permitting work is part of the RFP scope.
Commissioner Kim Ford moved to proceed with the RFP; Vicky Biggs seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Ending: The commission approved issuing the RFP and asked staff to include shoreline-change analysis, parking and ADA-accessibility requirements in the scope. Staff will bring the RFP and draft materials to a council workshop before releasing the RFP publicly.
