City Council Report

City Council Meeting: January 10, 2012

Agenda Item: 8-B

To: Mayor and City Council 

From: Martin Pastucha, Director of Public Works

Subject: Universally Accessible Playground Schematic Design

Recommended Action

Staff recommends that the City Council:

1) Review and comment on the schematic design for the Universally Accessible Playground Project.

2) Direct staff to move forward with the next phase of the project, design development.

Executive Summary

Following four months of public process, including a workshop, a focus group, various outreach efforts, and a presentation to a joint meeting of the Disabilities Commission and the Recreation & Parks Commission, two initial design concepts have been combined into one schematic design. Staff recommends that Council review and comment on the proposed schematic design and direct staff to move forward with design development plans for the Universally Accessible Playground.

Background

The City is planning to construct an approximately 20,000 square foot universally accessible children’s playground on the site immediately south of the southernmost beach parking lot in the City. The proposed playground site is presently occupied by a sand play area, picnic tables, a turf area and palm trees.

The proposed playground is bounded by the Ashland Avenue pedestrian way and the City beach parking lot (Lot 5/2600 Barnard Way) to the north, Barnard Way to the east, the Marvin Braude Bike Path (bike path) and the Pacific Ocean to the west, and Ocean Front Walk and the bike path to the south. The address of the property is 2900 Ocean Front Walk.

On June 28, 2011, Council approved a professional services agreement with Katherine Spitz Associates, Inc. (KSA) to provide design and preconstruction services for the project. Following the agreement, KSA and City staff initiated a community engagement process for the new playground. The process included a community workshop, a focus group, outreach to the special education and preschool communities, and coordination with the Disabilities Commission and the Recreation & Parks Commission. The specific program and amenities for the universally accessible playground were determined through this process, and by working closely with the Disabilities Commission and the Recreation & Parks Commission. Play features should incorporate unique design elements that integrate children of all abilities socially, physically and emotionally.

Discussion

Located on the beach, at the end of Barnard Way, and close to the border between Santa Monica and Los Angeles, this new playground would create a memorable and playful gateway to Santa Monica Beach. Designed to accommodate children with physical limitations and/or learning disabilities, as well as able bodied children, the proposed playground demonstrates the opportunities that diversity brings to civic life. The goals of the project are twofold: to create an inclusive, multi-sensory, rich environment where play opportunities exist for all; and to create a memorable space that captures the visitor’s imagination, within the framework of a safe and sustainable environment.

Two concepts were initially presented to the community for review and input: The Ship and Pacific Ocean Park (POP). The “Ship” concept described as a buried clipper ship reflects the history of Santa Monica as a harbor. The POP concept pays homage to the Ocean Park amusement pier and the history of amusement piers on the Santa Monica coast. After a comprehensive community input process, the “Ship” concept was selected as the strongest, singular image for the new universally accessible playground.

The “Ship” Concept

The imagery of a ship, with its white sails, is a celebration of Santa Monica’s seaport history. The related marine life imagery would be the organizing theme of the play and learning experience. The sails would provide shade, the hulls would be filled with multi-sensory play elements, and active play elements would be located on the deck. Ripple like circles of rubberized matting would create the illusion of water and house additional play equipment. Marine life would be depicted in three dimensions throughout the playground. Cast concrete sea life would be discoverable in the sand play tables and sandboxes, periscopes would encourage the seeking of oceanic distant views, and water play features would be set in the sand tables. Swings, rolling bar slides, climbing nets, a captain’s wheel, music elements, and rotating balance structures are included in the design. Ultimately, the selection of play elements would be influenced both by functionality, space and budget. These carefully selected play components contribute to the development of strength, balance, coordination, and body awareness; and sensory elements encourage social exploration and cooperative play.

The park would be fenced on all sides, with 42” tall coated, small gauge chain link fencing, and two entries would be located on the north side, adjacent to the parking lot. Four picnic tables and seating throughout the park are included in the design. Drought tolerant planting would be used to screen the chain link fencing, turf would be used to frame the play area, and all of the existing palm trees would be preserved on site.

Community Engagement

On July 30, 2011, the first community workshop was held at the Civic Auditorium. Input received included the following:

· Needs of a disabled parent, not only children

· Incorporate play elements to encourage independence through independent use

· Natural elements for inspiration

· Water and sand play

· Shade structures

· Tables for art projects

· Themed play features

· Balance and strength-building elements

· Seating for all abilities

· Colorful murals

· Bike path barrier

Members of the Disabilities Commission recommended sponsoring a poster contest for Disabilities Awareness Month as another way to build interest and involvement by the community in the new playground. As a prize, the winners of the contest would have their artwork displayed on the construction fencing when the playground is scheduled to begin construction next year.

On September 22, 2011, a focus group was held at Virginia Avenue Park. Discussions brought up many constructive comments, including:

· Need for a protected walkway from the playground across the bike path to the beach

· Need to consider play elements that are equally challenging to all children regardless of ability/disability

· Need for play “challenges” such as ramps that make children “work”

· Need for seating throughout the playground area

· Need for textural changes on the pathways

· Need for wider paths to allow circulation behind and around a wheelchair

· Desire for elements (such as sound elements) that work with the wind

· Desire for as many easily accessible sensory panels as possible

Overall, the focus group participants favored the “Ship” scheme, citing the “clarity” of its imagery and theme.

Members of the project team have made efforts to reach the community by attending meetings of the Santa Monica/Malibu Unified School District PTA Special Education Committee on September 15 and October 12, 2011, and a local preschool (The Growing Place) to show conceptual imagery for the park and to have parents fill out surveys and give input into the programming and design of the playground. Parents of children with special needs expressed interest in creating opportunities for children who have not developed social skills to be able to participate in cooperative play. Other important elements are those that promote balance, sensory awareness, motion, water and imaginary play.

As part of the public outreach process, a Facebook page was developed for the project (http://www.facebook.com/smbuap) to let people know about the design process, upcoming events, and to invite additional survey input.

Over 60 adults between the ages of 36 and 45 responded to the written survey. Over 80% of the respondents had between one and two children, most without disabilities. Of the sample, over 90% believe that a Universally Accessible Playground would be of benefit to their children and approximately 75% believe that it would provide physical, social and intellectual development as well as providing fun and play. The most important overall playground features were (in order of importance to the respondents):

· Shade

· Accessible and inclusive play

· Safety

· Seating and rest areas

· Landscaping and other natural elements

· Sensory elements

The most desired play elements were (in order of importance to the respondents):

· Slide

· Swings

· Play hut or tower

· Sand box/table

· Water play

· Crawl bridge

· Tunnels

· Ladders

· Balance beam

On November 15, 2011, staff presented the project to the Homeowners Association of the Sea Colony, the closest neighbors to the project site. Seven members of the housing community attended the presentation and provided their input. Comments included:

· Provide special facilitator and/or dedicated signage at each of the play equipment pieces to describe how it should be used in a safe and appropriate way

· Sound features of the playground might be loud and annoying – requested that comparative decibel levels for equipment be made available

· Proper playground maintenance

· Higher perimeter fencing around the project area

· Endeavor to reduce the construction timeframe

· Be mindful of construction noise that may be disturbing to those who live nearest to the area

Overall, the comments of the residents were mostly positive and enthusiastic about the transformation of the existing playground into something more inspiring.

On December 13, 2011, staff was invited to return to the Sea Colony for a second time to present the schematic design scheme only to residents of the Sea Colony 1 condos, the residential units that directly face the beach and the proposed playground project. The group of approximately 23 residents provided the following comments:

· Project has been hurried through the design process without their input, citing that they were not informed of the workshop, focus group or previous Sea Colony presentation

· Increase in traffic on Barnard Way as a result of the new playground, which presently results in beach-goers using their private driveway to make U-turns or for drop-offs

· Increase in noise of children playing in the larger, improved playground and utilizing sensory play equipment that generates sound

· Blockage of their views to the beach of the low playground “ship” structure, the shade “sails” and the “masts” that anchor them

· Increase use of the area by the homeless as a result of the playground providing a more comfortable place than currently exists

· Need for more security

· New playground will result in large buses of children coming to the site to use the playground, resulting in more noise

· Bike path hazards

· Sand fences being used by the homeless to hang laundry and other personal effects

· Pop-up events utilizing the open space adjacent to their property on Barnard Way

· Lack of adequate beach patrol

· Increase in capacity and speed of vehicles on Barnard Way

Commissions Review

The two concepts were presented to a joint meeting of the Disabilities Commission and the Recreation and Parks Commission on October 3, 2011. The Commissioners were nearly unanimous in their support for the “Ship” concept, citing “appropriateness,” “sense of containment,” “scale,” and the integration of the conceptual theme with the individual play/sensory elements, shade structures and materials.

Staff returned with schematic design to the commissions separately on November 7, 2011 (Disabilities Commission), and December 15, 2011 (Recreation & Parks Commission).

Disabilities Commission – The commissioners were unanimous in their enthusiastic support of the evolution of the playground design from concept to schematic and discussed strategies they might employ to raise additional funding for the project to maintain the high level of design detail that was presented.

Recreation & Parks Commission – The commissioners stated that the playground’s sensory elements were “amazing,” the buried concrete fossil concept was “fabulous and creative,” and that the “Ship” concept had resulted in a “delightful” element, “chock full of activities, not a boring boat.” Positive public comments included calling the scheme “creative and inclusive – one of the most creative that I’ve ever seen and a great asset to our community,” and that it is “vitally important for the City to be inclusive.”

Comments from several of the Sea Colony residents at the Recreation & Parks Commission meeting included:

· Alarm at the perception that the playground would become a homeless encampment

· Playground would not be properly maintained or patrolled

· Sound play elements would create a nuisance by encouraging parties during the night hours

· Disabled playground users would be run over trying to get to the public restrooms

· Homeless would urinate in the playground

The commissioners voted unanimously to recommend the schematic design to Council for approval with the following suggestions:

· Height of the shade structures be analyzed so as not to create a visual blockage

· Standard playground signage be provided

· Provide monitoring and enforcement to ensure park safety

· Materials to create the playground will be able to sustain the difficult marine environment

The Recreation & Parks Commission also encouraged staff to continue to meet with Sea Colony residents as the project progresses.

California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

This project is the replacement of an existing playground. As a result, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Class 1 (Existing Facilities), as the project involves negligible expansion of use given that it is currently an open space with a play area and will remain as such with new play equipment.

Next Steps

Following Council action on the schematic design, the design team will begin preparing design development plans for the playground. The next steps are:

· Complete design development plans – February/March 2012

· Submittal to Coastal Commission – February 2012

· Complete construction documents – May 2012

· Return to Council for award of construction contract – July 2012

· Begin construction – August 2012

Financial Impacts & Budget Actions

There is no immediate budget/financial impact to this Council action. This project is currently funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and additional funds are expected to be allocated in the FY2012-13 grant funding appropriation.

Prepared by: Jean Bellman, Architect

Approved:	Forwarded to Council:
Martin Pastucha Director of Public Works	Rod Gould City Manager