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Commission weighs playground surfacing options to meet safety ratings
Summary
Staff proposed replacing playground wood fiber with engineered wood fiber or alternative surfacing at Carroll Beach and Becker Park to meet safety ratings; commissioners noted durability concerns about interlocking tiles in local weather.
Tab said staff want to upgrade playground surfacing at several parks to meet safety requirements and reduce maintenance. "This initial one time of the engineered wood fiber is to get us up to speed this year," Tab said, explaining that wood fiber compresses and decomposes and would require annual top‑ups of about 25 percent. Staff said they are also evaluating interlocking play tiles, poured‑in‑place rubber and newer pressed‑rubber systems that come with warranties.
Commissioners raised durability concerns about tiles in local weather and asked staff to review warranty terms and local examples. One commissioner noted, "If you go to Pleasant Prairie Elementary, they've got a couple of those tiles. There's big gaps," and staff said they would follow up with vendors on high‑density products and warranty details before specifying a supplier.
