Playground Information

We realize that our current playground at our main park on Highland Gardens does not live up to our expectations for our community. As such, we are looking to replace the playground to ensure the children in our community will have a fun and safe area to play. With such a large venture that will last for many years, we want to make sure you, members of our community, are involved in the decision to design a welcoming playground replacement.

Our Replacement Criteria

Our criteria for a replacement playground is that it must be safe and well-engineered structure with a variety of activities to accommodate the different play styles of children. Since we are replacing an existing playground which is rated for children ages 5-12, this one must be designed for children of the same age, however other parts may be included to add entertainment for other age groups. We also want to ensure the replacement playground offers the same, if not more, playground activities as compared to the existing playground, so that we maintain or improve upon the entertainment availability for the children.

Some Neighborhood Parks

Here are some pictures of neighborhood parks we visited and liked. Browse these pictures and let us know if you see anything that grabs your eye and would be a great idea to have - or a bad one!

Example #1: Residential Park (Native Sunflower & El Campo Grande)

Example #2: Eldorado Park (Tropical & Camino Eldorado)

Example #3: Rosemont Estates Residential Park (Ferrell & El Campo Grande)

PROPOSED Replacements

Here are a few of the initial designs that were provided to us and that we are currently reviewing.

Cost

Replacing a playground is not a cheap undertaking. Unfortunately just like everything else, the larger and nicer a playground is, the more it will cost. This is why we are really want your feedback to make sure you get what you want and are happy with the final product. To give an estimate of how much the above proposed playgrounds cost, these replacements range between $15,000 and $35,000. Keep in mind that these are just for the physical equipment (slides, platforms, uprights, etc). There are numerous other expenses to replacing a playground, such as demolition of the existing playground, shipping of the new one, and installation. We are estimating those expenses to be around $10,000. We will also need to replace the flooring, which is currently sand, to either wood chips or rubber. That will cost about $5,000 for wood chips and about $15,000 for rubber, given the square footage of the playground area.

The Association maintains a reserve fund for replacing equipment when it reaches the end of its life. The replacement of the playground equipment and flooring surface is included in that reserve fund, which will offset a large part of the replacement. Not all costs may be able to be paid out of the reserve fund and will require budgeting and approval to spend from the operating fund. We are reviewing the budget for the next year to determine how much funds will be available from the general fund. This is also why we are asking you for your feedback so we can design a playground as close to the resident’s needs without breaking the bank.

Here is what you can do:

1. Complete Our Survey

By completing our quick survey, it will help tell us what you, as a member of the community, want to see in the new playground. This helps us determine what types of cool new equipment you want to see and have available for your children and grandchildren to play on.

2. Send Us A Message

Have a thought about the new playground that the survey did not cover? No worries! Maybe you saw a really cool park and want to share it with us? Feel free to write us a message below, just please be nice.