Parks board advances RCO grant push for Emerson Park, seeks public input on playground and courts

The Ocean Shores Parks Board on Jan. 14 advanced plans to seek a Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant to renovate Emerson Park, review playground designs and improve court surfacing, and launched public outreach for community input.

Tim Hiles, speaking for city staff, told the board the RCO application opens Feb. 11, the city's comprehensive-plan portion is due March 2, and the full application is due April 30; he said decisions from RCO would not be expected until late summer or September at the earliest. "It opens on February 11," Hiles said, outlining the grant timeline.

Why it matters: the grant would fund a new playground, court surfacing and site amenities at Emerson Park with the city expected to provide a local match (staff said roughly 30 percent). Final vendor pricing will determine the grant request and the council-level approval needed for the match.

What staff presented: two conceptual playground packages were shown, both ADA-compliant. Staff recited vendor price ranges on the table: one equipment quote was described as about $118,000; another option was described as just over $88,000; and one larger, more elaborate structure was described as exceeding $250,000. Board members raised durability concerns about small "rocker" play pieces that have failed in the local climate and asked staff to include under-5 equipment in final designs.

Court surfacing: staff advised the board that a painted acrylic finish applied over prepared asphalt is preferred over concrete for drainage and longevity; the meeting transcript records staff reading a surfacing quote (recorded as '35.07' in the meeting text), and members discussed rounding that estimate into the overall grant ask. Members noted poles and netting costs would be additional and that volunteer labor has historically reduced installation costs on park projects.

Public input and next steps: the board launched a 90-day community survey and reported about 60 responses in the first week; staff posted QR-code flyers and will place them at local public locations such as the post office and park boards. Hiles said staff needs finalized vendor pricing to "nail down" the 30 percent match before completing the application. The board also discussed using volunteer labor to reduce installation costs and asked staff to return with refined cost breakdowns for benches, bleachers and other ancillary items.

The next steps are finalizing design choices, confirming vendor bids to set the city match amount, and submitting the RCO application by April 30. Council approval of any city match will be required before the grant is filed.