Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City outlines replacement plan for Wiggins Hollow playground after fire; insurance, deductible discussed
Summary
Parks staff said a fire on Oct. 27 destroyed the Wiggins Hollow playground; quotes received indicate a like-for-like replacement is planned, and staff said the city's $500,000 deductible makes insurance impractical for full replacement of an $800,000 playground.
Parks staff told Everett City Council on Nov. 19 that the Wiggins Hollow playground was destroyed by fire on Oct. 27 and that the Parks Department is moving to replace the facility.
Bob Leonard, parks and facilities, said the city fenced and secured the site, worked with Everett Fire and the Everett Police Department on the investigation, and has received contractor quotes to replace the playground "pretty much" as it was. He said the original installation cost was about $800,000. Leonard told council that the city maintains a relatively high deductible (about $500,000) for playground claims, which made pursuing insurance less practical when replacement cost is roughly equivalent to the deductible; staff therefore recommended replacement using city funds and the council included a special-improvement project allocation of $500,000 in a proposed ordinance for Wiggins Hollow Playground repair.
Council asked about insurance coverage and the replacement timeline; staff said they would proceed to replace and noted they had not done broad community outreach given the plan was replacement rather than redesign.
Next steps: staff will move forward with replacement planning and the formal funding/closing ordinance is scheduled for final reading Dec. 10, 2025.
