MOORPARK : Grants May Fund Playground Redesign

Redesigning a playground at Moorpark’s Mountain Meadows Park to make it accessible to handicapped children could cost up to $25,000, city officials said.

But leftover federal Community Development Block Grant money might be available for the task, said Don Reynolds, an administrative services manager.

As part of the Americans with Disabilities Act that was signed into law by the Bush Administration in 1990, communities are permitted to use community block grants to remove “architectural barriers” in public places.

The City Council will consider using its remaining $25,000 to not only remove any barriers at the park’s playground, but install new equipment, including a circular slide, trapeze rings, and a chain net for climbing around on, Reynolds said.

The city would also like to build a sidewalk leading from the parking lot to the playground if funds permit. The city would have to hire a private contractor to do the work, Reynolds said.

The council will consider the issue at its 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 799 Moorpark Ave.