Commission forms ad hoc playground design group as residents urge natural surfaces over rubber

The Los Altos Parks, Art, Recreation and Culture Commission voted to create a two-member ad hoc working group to advise staff and the city’s contractor on replacement playgrounds at Grant and Shell parks.

The motion to form the subcommittee passed unanimously at the meeting after staff explained that the vendor-selected package would be the basis for the projects and that substantial changes could trigger additional charges. Chair Morris said the working group would collaborate with staff and the selected contractor to finalize equipment and surfacing for the parks.

The item drew two public commenters who urged the commission to recommend natural surfacing instead of the vendor’s proposed poured-in-place (PIP) rubber product. "I am here this evening to request that the input to staff that the ad hoc committee provides regarding the playground designs for [Grant] and [Shell] parks recommends natural surfaces for the health and safety of those who will use the playgrounds," said Andrea Wald, co-founder of Community for Natural Play Surfaces.

Wald told commissioners she and her organization oppose PIP rubber because, she said, the surface is made from recycled tires and "typically contains heavy metals including lead, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates and volatile organic compounds," which she said have been linked in some studies to asthma exacerbation, skin irritation and long-term cancer risks.

Laura Fay, a Los Altos resident, focused on heat hazards. "Rubber is one of the hottest playground surfaces—running up to 67% hotter than ambient air temperature in full sun," Fay said, warning that on hot days surface temperatures could become so high they cause burns and make playgrounds unusable.

Commissioners did not dispute the statements but treated the public-comments material as input to the newly formed working group. Staff emphasized that the vendor package presents a starting point and that proposed changes would likely increase cost: "the more changes that are made they charge us for every change compared to what they proposed," staff said during the item.

The commission recorded the vote in favor of forming the ad hoc committee and then moved on to solicit volunteers for the two-member working pair. Staff noted a standing rule that commissioners may not serve simultaneously on overlapping ad hoc committees; the chair and staff estimated the working group could take roughly six months to complete its work, which may limit members’ ability to join other ad hoc groups during that period.

The working group's remit, as stated at the meeting, is to advise on design and installation details and to work with staff and the contractor on equipment selection and surfacing options. The commission will return recommendations to city staff and ultimately to the City Council as needed. The ad hoc committee's membership and next steps are to be determined and will be announced by staff.