Title
Review and Recommend Woodstock Park Playground Design
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Park Commission
From: Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Re: Review and Recommend Woodstock Park Playground Design
BACKGROUND
The site for Woodstock Park was acquired from the original land owner's estate in the Spring of 1941 by the US Housing Authority. The parcel became home to the Atlantic Trailer Park. The trailer park provided utility hook-ups to 200 mobile homes for civilian defense workers during World War II. After the war Atlantic Trailer Park gradually closed. The North end of the property was acquired by the City in 1950 to serve as a playground for Woodstock School. The West End gained more residents during the war than any other section of Alameda provoking demands for parks and recreation programs. The West Alameda Association, along with support of the Recreation Commission, circulated petitions in 1954 asking for a public park on the trailer park property. In June 1955 the US housing Authority accepted the city's below market bid of $45,000. The property comprised 3.86 acres. A small donation of land by Woodstock Homes increased the site to 3.96 acres. The park opened in 1957 without ceremony. Although $100,000 had been expended for land and improvements the park was far from complete. Woodstock Park was brought to completion in the late 1960's and early 1970's with the Recreation Center formally dedicated on June 15, 1968. The final phase of picnic, play areas, and the softball field lights were finished in 1973.
The Alameda Recreation and Park Department has an Annual Playground Replacement Program in which Longfellow Park playground was replaced in 2015 and Godfrey Park playground was replaced in 2016. This project replaces one park playground each year with the oldest playgrounds, some of which are over 20 years old, to be replaced first. The design for each playground is unique with community input. The...
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