Title
Review and Recommend Chochenyo Park Play Area Final Design
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Park Commission
From: Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Re: Review and Recommend Chochenyo Park Play Area Final Design
BACKGROUND
During the City's Fiscal Year (FY) 2019/21 Budget process, a group of Jackson Park neighbors spoke at the Recreation and Parks Commission (Commission) meeting to advocate for a small play area to be installed at Jackson Park. After hearing the comments, the Commission included project in its recommendation to City Council for the FY 2019/21 budget. The City Council allocated $75,000 toward a play area at Jackson Park during its FY 2019/21 budget discussions and approval.
On July 23, 2019, staff held a neighborhood meeting and approximately 75 people attended. Overall, the comments were equally for and against a play area at the park with some people expressing interest but with reservations.
In September 2019, the Commission provided direction for a landscape play area design and in June 2020, the Commission provided direction to focus on the design created by Tyler Velten with a train log focus. Tyler Velten has provided his services at no cost. An update to the design was required to stay within the construction budget and due to the pandemic that design update was significantly delayed.
In April 2021, the Commission reviewed the updated design along with an ideas for a medicine wheel either in conjunction with the play area or as a separate "landing area" for the new park educational signage. The Commission provided direction for staff to examine the medicine wheel concept in tandem with a landscaped play space.
DISCUSSION
The location of the landscape play area is proposed to be closer to the center of the north end of the park for safety reasons to avoid the higher traffic Encinal Avenue (Exhibit 1). Based on input from the Commission, the design is nature based, within an ...
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