Corte Madera staff present Town Park playground designs; community survey favors Option B, project to go to council
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Staff said Town Park's playground renovation is grant-funded through a Healthy Play Initiative program; community survey respondents preferred 'Option B' and staff said they plan to bring a final design and contract to town council on Dec. 16, with possible add-ons (a web climber) if it does not jeopardize grant eligibility.
Recreation staff presented two design options for the Town Park playground and reported they were awarded a grant through the Healthy Play Initiative and can use an Omni cooperative procurement to reduce equipment cost and speed installation.
Staff said the playground (last updated in the early 2000s) had been closed for safety reasons and that the grant makes Corte Madera a national demonstration site for the grant program's six elements of active-play design. Staff summarized outreach: 142 in-park responses and 205 online survey responses; Option B (a larger slide and different climbing layout) was the clear community favorite in the survey.
On funding, staff reported that $330,000 is available in the recreation capital budget and said additional funds could be moved from the town project fund if council approves a reallocation. Staff characterized the project as "shovel ready" through the cooperative procurement, meaning the vendor will handle equipment removal and turnkey installation; other town staff would provide contract oversight.
Commissioners and commenters focused on surfacing choice and long-term maintenance. Staff said rubberized "pour-and-play" surfacing improves accessibility (easier to roll strollers and mobility devices) and carries a manufacturer warranty for a limited period, but acknowledged higher upfront cost; one cost figure discussed was roughly $129,000 to add pour-and-play under a primary structure. Commissioners asked for a total-cost-of-ownership analysis; staff said no comprehensive lifecycle cost estimate was available at the meeting.
There was broad support for Option B coupled with a request to explore adding a web/net climber if it can be done without forfeiting grant eligibility or exceeding available funds. "I'd like to take this to council on December 16 so that basically they can approve and move forward," the presenter said, asking commissioners whether to direct staff to finalize the design and funding steps for council consideration.
The commission directed staff to pursue final design tweaks (including exploring whether a web can be added while preserving grant compliance) and to return to council with a final design and contract request on Dec. 16. No final contract or budget reallocation was approved at this meeting.