Designers present Coyote Ridge playground plan built from 300-plus community responses

Consultants from HCM reviewed schematic designs for Coyote Ridge Park phase 1 on Aug. 21, saying community feedback shaped the plan. "There was over 300 responses, which was awesome," Robert Bartling told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and he said the most common words residents used to describe the park were "community, open, fun, safe, natural." Bartling said the survey's top five preferred playground features were slides, shade, swings, an obstacle/fitness course and towers, and the team reflected those priorities in the current schematic.

The plan divides play into two main age zones (2'5 and 5'12) with a central decorative plaza containing musical instruments and a variety of seating types, including backless benches and swing benches. Bartling said the design retains existing mature trees and will replace timber retaining features with boulder walls where appropriate; "we are adding some new bike racks" and new accessible walks to existing shade structures, he added. The team also identified several existing play pieces to salvage and reuse in the new layout.

Designers described surfacing choices intended to balance accessibility and heat concerns: poured-in-place surfacing for primary play areas and synthetic turf for a low, approximately 3-foot hillside play mound, with the option of a poured-in-place mound if the board prefers. They also proposed replacing the existing vault restroom building and adding accessible trails under 5% grade to meet ADA requirements. The board asked for further detail on materials and heat mitigation; consultants said color choices and material selection will be used to mitigate surface temperatures.