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Parks staff to remove aging Lowell Park toboggan run after years of limited use
Summary
Staff told the board the Lowell Park toboggan run has reached the end of its useful life, saw only three to four rentals last winter, and recommended demolition; the board approved removal and staff said they plan to do the work in-house if staffing allows.
Parks staff told the board that the remaining toboggan run at Lowell Park is near the end of its useful life and recommended removing it, citing limited public use and worsening structural condition.
Ron, speaking for parks staff, reviewed the run's history and said winters no longer reliably provide the snow depth needed to operate the feature; staff said they typically need a 4–6 inch base to run toboggans and reported only "3 or 3 to 4" rentals last year. He described the structure as piecemealed over time and increasingly expensive to keep safe and functional.
Maintenance staff (Melissa) confirmed much of the wood is rotten, that metal pieces would be salvaged for scrap but the wood is largely unsuitable for reuse, and that the next step would be total reconstruction if the city kept it — a move staff argued was not cost-effective. When asked about removal costs, staff offered a rough contracted removal ballpark of $5,000 to $25,000 but said recent in-house removals were efficient and likely much less. The plan, staff said, is to complete the removal internally if current staffing permits and to consider the site in the upcoming park and recreation system master-plan update.
Steve Johnson moved approval of the disposition/removal plan and Alvin Otesca seconded; the motion passed unanimously. Staff will proceed with removal planning and coordinate schedules and recycling of salvageable metal.
