Earthwalk Park to receive ADA-compliant upgrades

“Antiquated” playground equipment will soon be replaced at Earthwalk Park with new equipment that will be compliant with new Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, according to a staff report.

The proposed project will also replace shade structures at the park, located at the corner of Grismer and Peyton avenues.

The new equipment and shade structures will be paid for by a grant from Los Angeles County.

The equipment was compliant with the standards at the time it was installed, but Judie Wilke, director of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department said standards change over time. The city also tries to replace its playground equipment every 10 to 15 years, depending on issues such as manufacturers’ warranties, she said.

There is no design yet for the new playground, she said, but “it will provide an array of opportunities and it will be accessible to all.”

Wilke said it will likely have dexterity features, climbing features and interactive elements, but what particular theme or look — whether pirates or dinosaurs or something else — will be determined during the project’s bid process.

According to the grant proposal, the city plans to install a rubberized surface in the play area under the playground equipment. The proposal also calls for planting native, drought-tolerant landscaping in the park, which Wilke said is both part of “being a good steward” with water resources and a way to reduce maintenance costs.

Students in the city’s youth employment programs known as City Resources Employing Students Today, or CREST, and Burbank Employment & Student Training, or BEST, will do the planting.

The project is projected to cost roughly $350,000, according to a cost estimate. The city had already budgeted money to replace the playground equipment at Earthwalk Park this year, and now those funds will be used to meet a minimum required 25% match for the $250,000 grant.

The city has about $600,000 in what used to be redevelopment funds that can be used for capital improvements benefiting children, such as upgrades to the city’s playgrounds, Wilke said.

The county grant could free up some of the city’s funds for new playground equipment at another park. City officials hope to replace equipment at up to four parks in the next year.

That plan depends partially on what gets approved in the city’s next budget cycle.

Verdugo Park is already slated for new equipment in this year’s budget, Wilke said, and the department plans to ask for money in the next budget to pay for replacement of playground facilities at two more parks, with Ralph Foy and Vickroy on the list for possible makeovers.

It makes sense to lump them all together, Wilke said, adding that the city might get a better per-park price when ordering four sets of equipment from the manufacturer. But that doesn’t mean the parks will all look the same.

“We kind of pride ourselves on making each of our playgrounds unique,” she said.