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Kids Might Still Have Sand in their Shoes in New Playground

December 18, 2011 by Elizabeth Weise

By Bonnee Waldstein

Photos by Bonnee Waldstein

Schematic of improvements slated for Glen Canyon Park
Community members sort through options for the playground renovation

The new playground in Glen Canyon Park, slated for completion in winter 2013-14, will feature the newest, most up-to-date play structures for Glen Park’s youngsters to run around and frolic in.

Yet, the burning issue in the new design couldn’t be more low-tech:  Sand or no sand?  Most parents were dismayed at the possibility that the playground would not have any sand; current conditions are—sand everywhere.  Most users like it that way.

Times change and so do playgrounds.  Health and safety codes put into effect in the last 30 or 40 years have addressed issues that weren’t on our radar screens until recently.

Community members sort through options for the playground renovation

At the final community meeting for the Glen Canyon Park Plan, which will guide improvements funded by the 2008 Clean and Safe Streets bond act, an array of options for improvements in the playground was presented.  The alternatives were based on feedback from previous meetings, emails and other communications.

In response to parents’ requests, a Rec and Park staff member was present to oversee the activities of the children whose parents attended the meeting at the Rec Center.

Although the focus this time around was on the playground, the other main features of the renovation project are:

.  New drop-off area on Elk Street with at least two parking spaces

.  A welcoming entry plaza

. Sidewalk renovation along Elk Street

. Relocation of tennis courts

. Picnic area

. Enhanced emergency access at the Bosworth Street entrance

. Pathways and circulation patterns within the recreation area

. Improvements to the gymnasium floor and restrooms in the recreation building

. Unisex restroom on east wing of building that is accessible from outside and also available seven days a week, during specified times when the Rec Center is closed.

Kristin Bowman, the park service area manager for Glen Canyon Park, and 30-40 other recreational sites in the city, gave the group a reality check on the operational challenge of sand.  Due to varying geographic conditions, some city playgrounds have sand and others don’t.

At Noe playground, cats use the sand as a giant litter box. Park staff needs to sift it twice a day.  Now the community wants to replace it.  Eureka Valley originally had sand, but the district supervisor had it removed because of hidden needles and condoms.  On the other hand, both Douglas and Christopher playgrounds have sand and very few issues.  Bowman anticipates that if Glen Canyon playground had a designated sand play area, we too would have few problems.

But there’s more.  Under current regulations, the other play structures would need to be on a rubber or some other safety surface.  That would inevitably result in sand migrating onto it. There’s no adequate way to prevent it or get it off once it’s there.  Over time (and we’re on a roughly thirty-year timeline), the sand would wear out the surface.

In the past, Bowman has looked into the possibility of covering the sand after hours, but says all the solutions are inadequate.

After this sobering news, the group decided they were still in favor of having at least a limited sand play area.

Another area of controversy that was addressed was the removal of trees to make way for relocating the tennis courts.  Karen Mauney-Brodek of Rec and Park announced that, for every tree removed, three more would be planted.  That seemed to end a simmering debate for now, at least.

Controversy aside, the main feature of the meeting was the presentation of two detailed design concepts for the playground.  One featured more natural play elements, such as “faux” boulders, to blend in with the surrounding park environment.  The other emphasized more traditional, although updated, structures.  Both plans had common elements, but it wasn’t an either/or choice.

One design feature common to both options was areas that served two age ranges:

preschool (ages 2-5) and school-age (ages 5-12).  Other common considerations were to meet current safety and disability standards, accessible ground surface, limited maintenance requirements, durability, and cost  ($1 – $1.4 million budgeted).

People broke into work groups, and each one mixed and matched the elements and gave their reasons for their choices to the larger group.

It remains to be seen what the final configuration will be, but most of the community favored:

. bucket swings

. belt swings

. seat and standing spinners

. hillside slides

. crawl through log tunnel

. wooden post and deck climbing structure

. sand play area with “mushroom” steps

And perhaps the crowning jewel:

. An “Explorer Dome” of metal struts with interior climbing nets, rocks and ropes.

Natural colored surfaces were favored over the bright primary colors seen at other renovated playgrounds.

In addition to the play structure elements, options were given for seating areas, benches, perimeter fences and gates, stairs and paving, and native plantings.

The final detailed design for the playground will be unveiled by Rec and park, either in an open house or on their website in January or early February.

The community phase of the project having coming to an end, the next steps are: detailed designs and construction documents; followed by advertising, bidding and awarding construction contracts by summer 2012.  So as not to interrupt camp and other summer recreation, construction should begin in fall 2012.  The construction zone will be off limits for 10 months, though the rest of the park will still be open.  Completion is anticipated in winter 2013-14.

Comments on the design concept alternatives will be accepted until December 24 (perhaps later if the drawings are delayed in posting).

Contact:

Karen Mauney-Brodek

Project Manager I

Phone: 415-831-2789

Email: Karen.Mauney-Brodek@sfgov.org

(As of this posting the illustrations presented at the meeting were not on the Rec and Park website.  When they are posted, you can view them at http://sfrecpark.org/glenParkProject.aspx.)

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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Glen Park Association is at Glen Park Greenway.
15 hours ago
Glen Park Association

Saturday’s Glen Park Greenway Work Party is Cancelled.

“I’m very sorry to say that
we have cancelled our Work Party for this Saturday July 12, along with all organized volunteer activity on the Greenway until further notice.
As you may have read in the news, our fiscal sponsor, San Francisco Parks Alliance (SFPA), has shut itself down. Just as SFPA has shut itself down, the Greenway, as an organized part of SFPA, has also been “shut down.” We are busy looking for a suitable alternative fiscal sponsor that is willing to replace SFPA. That search is going well but it is a slow process. We had hoped to find temporary ways to enable the Greenway project to function responsibly as a community activity without a fiscal sponsor. Sadly, despite our best efforts and the help of many others in Glen Park, we have failed. That is why we must cancel our Saturday Work Party and discontinue future work parties and other organized volunteer activity on the Greenway (like weeding and watering) until further notice. We recognize that the Greenway is public open space and that the organizers of the Greenway project have no control over the activities of you or of anyone else on the Greenway. However, if you do venture onto the Greenway to satisfy your urge for outdoor recreation, please be aware that your activity is not in any way organized or sanctioned by the organizers of the Glen Park Greenway project. I’m well aware of the efforts that many of the
Greenway’s supporters are making to get the Greenway organized with a new fiscal sponsor and I’m confident that this will be arranged within weeks or perhaps a few months.
However long it takes, I will contact you with news of our progress.
Many thanks for all that you do for the Greenway.”

Nicholas Dewar, volunteer Project Director

#glenparkgreenway #glenparksf #sanfrancisco @rafaelmandelmand8 @danielluriesf @crosstowntrail
#crosstowntrail #sfparksalliance #publicspace #nature
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Wonder what’s stopping just organizing it separate from that non-profit. It seems like the volunteers largely come from Glen Park.

Glen Park Association is at Laidley Street SFO.
4 days ago
Glen Park Association

It was a beautiful day for the annual #july4th celebration on Laidley street!

📷: Photos courtesy of Michael Waldstein

#glenparksf #sanfrancisco #laidley
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It was a beautiful day for the annual #july4th celebration on Laidley street! 

📷: Photos courtesy of Michael Waldstein 

#glenparksf #sanfrancisco #laidley
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