Parks and Recreation Advisory Board narrows playground options for Lower Seelmeyer Park

Highland Village — The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on April 20 reviewed playground replacement renderings and cost tiers for Lower Seelmeyer Park and signaled support for the Craftsman silver design alongside Cunningham bronze and silver options, while moving to eliminate Craftsman’s more expensive gold option from a recommended list.

Brian, Parks staff, told the board the project would be funded from 2020–2022 bond proceeds and that “the budget amount for the project is $140,000.” He presented renderings and tiered cost estimates from two vendors: Cunningham (a GameTime playground representative) and Craftsman Playgrounds. Staff cited a Cunningham bronze option priced at $120,638.74 and a Craftsman bronze option at $128,103; an alternate to replace a worn picnic pad and add a 5‑ft ADA ramp and 15x15 concrete pad with table and grill was estimated at about $12,500–$13,500.

The board discussed design trade-offs, maintenance and safety. Members noted neighborhood feedback opposing noisy, music‑making features and emphasized caregiver seating. On warranties and lifespan, staff said commercial playground turf typically carries a 15‑year warranty and that higher use can trigger earlier replacements covered under warranty terms. Staff estimated a vendor construction window of about 90 days once work begins and noted in‑house demolition could save an estimated $6,000–$12,000 versus contracting that work.

Board members expressed a clear preference for the Craftsman silver rendering — described by one member as the option with “the hill and the tunnel and the slide and rock” — and for keeping Cunningham’s bronze or silver options as acceptable alternatives. Several members said Craftsman’s gold option was roughly $30,000 over budget (about $170,000) and should be removed from a recommended list; Cunningham’s gold was described as about $11,000 over budget. The board agreed staff should post the renderings and prices in an online survey to collect neighborhood input; staff will present survey results at the May meeting and seek a formal recommendation to city council at that time.

The meeting also touched on future, separate site ideas — including a possible pedestrian bridge to improve safe access and citizen‑funded project options — and the board asked staff to re‑check specifics such as which elements are included in the quoted prices and whether certain swings or seating would require additional fall‑zone surfacing.

Procedural note: earlier in the meeting the board approved minutes from Nov. 17, 2025 by a 4‑0 vote. The board adjourned at 6:47 p.m. The next step on the playground item is staff to post the survey and report resident responses at the May meeting before forwarding a recommendation to city council.