Playground Closed for Upgrade

The Newman Park playground will be closed through Friday while the City Parks and Recreation Department upgrades the bedding from sand to wood fiber.

Park Area Supervisor, Victor I. Flores, explained:

"We will be closing the modular playground for removal of all the sand fall surface. We will be replacing sand with engineered wood fiber. Construction fencing will be on site until the end of the project in 2-3 days. I expect to have the fencing removed as soon as the fall surface has been restored to playground standard. Sand removal in the turf perimeters will follow in days to come."

Large portions of the park turf have recently been buried by sand escaping from the playground. The causes of this "escape" are prevalent winds from the west-southwest and increased use of the park since the addition of swings and additional tables and benches.

Parks and Recreation was recently notified that a subcontractor hired to do clean-up at the park was also adding to the problem by blowing sand off of the sidewalks onto the grass rather than corralling it back into the playground.

Wood chips such as those used underneath the swings are not just easier to maintain - they are far cleaner than the sand that is often used by animals as a litter box.

For the next couple of days while the playground is closed the swings will be available. Some of the older tables and benches will be moved away from the turf. Plans to clean the sand off of the smothered grass surface have already been made.