023-08 Appendix 5 - Resolution - Parks Plan UpdateCity of Port Orchard 2008 Comprehensive Parks Plan
APPENDIX 5
PARKS SURVEY OCTOBER 2006 SUMMARY
& PUBLIC COMMENT
Page 1 of 3
W:\Engineering\Survey Data\SUMMARY PARKS SURVEY OCTOBER 2006.doc
PARKS SURVEY – OCTOBER 2006
SUMMARY SHEET
How many people in household? (Number of households with--)
1 Adult 28 1 Child 14 Infant/Preschool 8
2 Adults 74 2 Children 17 Kindergarten 8
3 Adults 2 3 Children 7 Elementary 17
4 Adults 2 4 Children 3 Middle/Jr. High 16
Senior High 15
Yearly visits to following facilities. (Answers such as frequently, occasionally,
rarely, yes were not included in the tally.)
Active Club Building 389
Active Club Park 417
Van Zee Park 1596
Central Playfield 409
Paul Powers Park 483
Pedestrian Pier 1164
Etta Turner Park 692
Nick Repanich Park 3768
Boat Launch 629
Walkway along Waterfront 4341
If you don’t use City parks, why not?
No horseshoe pit
Too busy
Roads not walker friendly to get to parks
Playground equipment outdated
No interest
Restrooms dirty
Don’t know where they are
Handicapped
Negligent upkeep & maintenance
Playgrounds need updating
No trails
Kicked out of Van Zee by soccer group
Should City parks be reservable?
Yes 68
No 10
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W:\Engineering\Survey Data\SUMMARY PARKS SURVEY OCTOBER 2006.doc
Should there be a fee for reserving park facility?
Yes 59
No 25
Rate City parks 1= Great 5 = Needs improvement
1 2 3 4 5
Maintenance 16 18 23 18 11
Cleanliness 17 26 18 20 8
Amenities 9 18 26 17 12
Is there a need for an RV park?
Yes 33
No 53
Need/Priority for following. 1 = Priority 5 = Not necessary
1 2 3 4 5
More recreation centers 25 12 21 14 17
More park facilities 27 11 26 12 17
More beach/waterfront access 49 18 15 5 9
More trails 47 18 17 5 10
Purchase land 44 12 18 6 13
Maintain existing facilities 59 21 12 4 4
Road shoulders for walking 63 13 9 5 8
Exercise trails 48 10 21 8 8
Sidewalks 55 16 14 5 8
Baseball fields 11 11 30 20 20
Playgrounds 22 22 27 11 12
Basketball courts 8 18 32 10 16
Soccer fields 12 15 27 18 16
Tennis courts 10 14 32 15 17
Covered picnic areas 25 18 24 17 9
Skateboard/rollerblade area 21 19 28 7 18
Specify other community needs.
Programs geared to younger children
Something more for teens and young adults
Parking for downtown
Parking for existing facilities. Set hours & enforce.
Bicycle lanes
Community events center
More roadway litter pick up
Mini-golf, go-cart, bm-x trails, bathroom facilities, Gulf War Memorial
Fix up moldy, ugly downtown
Clean up
Sidewalk on both sides from Blackjack Creek to city
Launching ramps
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W:\Engineering\Survey Data\SUMMARY PARKS SURVEY OCTOBER 2006.doc
Other Needs - continued
New park in Hull/Melcher area
Community swimming pool
Off-leash dog park
More concerts by the bay
Preserve green space
Unlock restrooms
YMCA-type facility
Additional comments.
See survey printout
City of Port Orchard
Council Meeting Minutes
Regular Meeting of April 8, 2008
7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Lary Coppola, Mayor
Council Members: Mayor Pro-Tem Clauson, Chang, Childs, Colebank,
Powers, and Putaansuu
ABSENT: Council Members Olin (excused)
ALSO PRESENT: Police Chief Townsend, Police Commander Marti, Public Works
Director Abed, Development Director Weaver, IT Manager Tucker, City Clerk Merlino,
Deputy Clerk Kirkpatrick, and City Attorney Jacoby.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Charlotte Garrido led the audience and Council in the Pledge of Allegiance
CITIZEN COMMENT
Kathy Lipka requested that the entrance door on the first floor remain unlocked during
Council Meetings.
Becky Vanni President of the Local MOMS Club voiced concern with the condition of City
parks, noting that the Club had previously met with the Mayor and he suggested they
begin attending Council meetings. Based on that meeting the Club began to create
some short and long-term goals for park rehabilitation. Ms. Vanni indicated the Club
was willing to work with the City on park rehabilitation and that the Club wants to be a
part of the solution.
Council Members and the Mayor thanked Ms. Vanni and the Local MOMS Club
for being proactive in helping to find solutions for improving City parks and invited the
Club to attend future Public Property Committee and City Council meetings.
Council Member Powers arrived at 7:10 p.m.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
The following items were added to Business:
• Discussion Item: Perry Avenue Speeders
• Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC)
America’s Playgrounds
Safety Report Card
DOES PAUL POWERS PARK (2035 Sidney) MAKE THE GRADE?
Evaluate your playground using the following criteria.
A full explanation of the criteria is on the back of this sheet.
Yes No
SUPERVISION
Adults present when children are on equipment X
Children can be easily viewed on equipment X
Children can be viewed in crawl spaces - none X
Rules posted regarding expected behavior X
AGE-APPROPRIATE DESIGN
Playgrounds have separate areas for ages 2-5 and 5-12 X
Platforms have appropriate guardrails X
Platforms allow change of directions to get on/off structure X
Signage indicating age group for equipment provided X
Equipment design prevents climbing outside the structure X
Supporting structure prevents climbing on it X
FALL SURFACING
Suitable surfacing materials provided X
Height of all equipment is 8 feet or lower X
Appropriate depth of loose fill provided X
Six foot use zone has appropriate surfacing X
Concrete footings are covered X
Surface free of foreign objects – broken beer bottles X
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Equipment is free of noticeable gaps X
Equipment is free of head entrapments – slide looks unsafe X
Equipment is free of broken parts X
Equipment is free of missing parts X
Equipment is free of protruding bolts X
Equipment is free of rust – rust on swings X
Equipment is free of splinters X
Equipment is free of cracks/holes – swings have cracks X
TOTAL POINTS 12 12
For Additional Resources and Information Contact:
National Program for Playground Safety: 1-800-554-PLAY (7529) ~ www.playgroundsafety.org
SCORING SYSTEM
Total the number of “Yes”
answers in the “Total Points”
box in the table.
24 – 20 = A Congratulations on
having a SAFE playground.
Please continue to maintain this
excellence.
19 – 17 = B
Your playground is on its way to
providing a safe environment for
children. Work on the areas checked
‘No’.
16 – 13 = C
Your playground is potentially
hazardous for children. Take
corrective measures.
12 – 8 = D
Children are at risk on this
playground. Start to make
improvements.
7 & = F
Do not allow children on this
playground. Make changes
immediately.
**If any of the gray boxes
are marked ‘NO’, the
potential of a life
threatening injury is
significantly increased.
Contact the owner of the
playground.
Explanation of Risk Factor Criteria
SUPERVISION
*1. Since equipment can’t supervise children, it is important that adult supervision is present when children are playing on the playground.
2. In order to properly supervise, children need to be seen. This question is asking if there are any blind spots where children can hide out of the sight of the
supervisor.
3. Many crawl spaces, tunnels, and boxed areas have plexiglas or some type of transparent material present to allow the supervisor to see that a child is inside the
space. When blind tunnels are present, children cannot be properly supervised.
4. Rules help reinforce expected behavior. Therefore, the posting of playground rules is recommended. For children, ages 2-5, no more than three rules should be
posted. Children over the age of five will remember five rules. These rules should be general in nature, such as “respect each other and take turns.”
AGE APPROPRIATE DESIGN
*1. It is recommended that playgrounds have separate areas with appropriately sized equipment and materials to serve ages 2-5 and ages 5-12. Further, the
intended user group should be obvious from the design and scale of equipment. In playgrounds designed to serve children of all ages, the layout of
pathways and the landscaping of the playground should show the distinct areas for the different age groups. The areas should be separated at least by a buffer
zone, which could be an area with shrubs or benches.
*2. Either guardrails or protective barriers may be used to prevent inadvertent or unintentional falls off elevated platforms. However, to provide greater
protection, protective barriers should be designed to prevent intentional attempts by children.
3. Platforms over six feet in height should provide an intermediate standing surface where a decision can be made to halt the ascent or to pursue an alternative
means of descent.
4. Signs posted in the playground area can be used to give some guidance to adults as to the age appropriateness of equipment.
5. Children use equipment in creative ways which are not necessarily what the manufacturer intended when designing the piece. Certain
equipment pieces, like high tube slides, can put the child at risk if they can easily climb on the outside of the piece. The answer to this
question is a judgment on your part as to whether the piece was designed to minimize risk to the child for injury from a fall.
6. Support structures such as long poles, bars, swing frames, etc. become the play activity. The problem is that many times these structures
have no safe surfacing underneath and children fall from dangerous heights to hard surfaces.
FALL SURFACING
*1. Appropriate surfaces are either loose fill (engineered wood fiber, sand, pea gravel, or shredded tires) or unitary surfaces (rubber tiles, rubber mats, and
poured in place rubber). Inappropriate surface materials are asphalt, concrete, dirt, and grass. It should be noted that falls from 1 ft. onto concrete could
cause a concussion. Falls from a height of eight feet onto dirt is the same as a child hitting a brick wall traveling 30 mph.
*2. Research has shown that equipment heights can double the probability of a child getting injured. We recommend that the height of
equipment for pre-school age children be no higher than 6 feet and the height of equipment for school age children be limited to 8 feet. *3. Proper loose fill
surfacing must be at the appropriate depth to cushion falls. An inch of sand upon hard packed dirt will not provide any
protection. We recommend 12 inches of loose fill material under and around playground equipment.
*4. Appropriate surfacing should be located directly underneath equipment and extend six feet in all directions with the exception of slides
and swings, which have a longer use zone.
*5. You should not be able to see concrete footings around any of the equipment. Deaths or permanent disabilities have occurred from children falling off
equipment and striking their heads on exposed footings.
6. Glass, bottle caps, needles, trash, etc. can also cause injury if present on playground surfaces.
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
*1. Strangulation is the leading cause of playground fatalities. Some of these deaths occur when drawstrings on sweatshirts, coats, and other clothing get caught in
gaps in the equipment. The area on top of slides is one potential trouble spot.
*2. Entrapment places include between guardrails and underneath merry-go-rounds. Head entrapment occurs when the body fits through a space but the child’s
head cannot pass through the same space. This occurs because generally, young children’s heads are larger than their bodies. If the space between two parts
(usually guardrails) is more than three and a half inches then it must be greater than nine inches to avoid potential entrapment.
*3. Broken equipment pieces are accidents waiting to happen. If a piece of equipment is broken, measures need to be taken to repair the piece. In the meantime,
children should be kept off the equipment.
*4. Missing parts also create a playground hazard. A rung missing from a ladder, which is the major access point onto a piece of equipment, poses an unnecessary
injury hazard for the child.
5. Protruding bolts or fixtures can cause problems with children running into equipment or catching clothing. Therefore, they pose a potential safety hazard.
6. Exposed metal will rust. This weakens the equipment and will eventually create a serious playground hazard.
7. Wood structures must be treated on a regular basis to avoid weather related problems such as splinters. Splintering can cause serious injuries to children.
8. Plastic equipment may crack or develop holes due to temperature extremes and/or vandalism. This is a playground hazard.
*If these risk factors are missing, the potential for a life-threatening injury is significantly increased. 2006 National
Program for Playground Safety
America’s Playgrounds
Safety Report Card
DOES Givens Community Center (Structure behind) MAKE THE
GRADE?
Evaluate your playground using the following criteria. A full explanation
of the criteria is on the back of this sheet.
Yes No
SUPERVISION
Adults present when children are on equipment x
Children can be easily viewed on equipment x
Children can be viewed in crawl spaces - none x
Rules posted regarding expected behavior x
AGE-APPROPRIATE DESIGN
Playgrounds have separate areas for ages 2-5 and 5-12 x
Platforms have appropriate guardrails x
Platforms allow change of directions to get on/off structure x
Signage indicating age group for equipment provided x
Equipment design prevents climbing outside the structure x
Supporting structure prevents climbing on it x
FALL SURFACING
Suitable surfacing materials provided x
Height of all equipment is 8 feet or lower x
Appropriate depth of loose fill provided - only one low spot x
Six foot use zone has appropriate surfacing x
Concrete footings are covered x
Surface free of foreign objects – broken beer bottles x
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Equipment is free of noticeable gaps x
Equipment is free of head entrapments – slide looks unsafe x
Equipment is free of broken parts x
Equipment is free of missing parts x
Equipment is free of protruding bolts x
Equipment is free of rust – rust on swings x
Equipment is free of splinters x
Equipment is free of cracks/holes – swings have cracks x
TOTAL POINTS 19 5
• Under one climbing structure the fall surfacing needs to be replaced
• Older climbers boarder at 8ft, but easily climb to top and be over that.
Equipment overall in good condition. Small steps could be taken to to make this one of
the few safe parks in our city.
America’s Playgrounds
Safety Report Card
DOES CENTRAL PARK (915 Dwight St.) MAKE THE GRADE?
Evaluate your playground using the following criteria.
A full explanation of the criteria is on the back of this sheet.
Yes No
SUPERVISION
Adults present when children are on equipment X
Children can be easily viewed on equipment X
Children can be viewed in crawl spaces X
Rules posted regarding expected behavior
AGE-APPROPRIATE DESIGN
Playgrounds have separate areas for ages 2-5 and 5-12
Platforms have appropriate guardrails
Platforms allow change of directions to get on/off structure
Signage indicating age group for equipment provided
Equipment design prevents climbing outside the structure
Supporting structure prevents climbing on it
FALL SURFACING
Suitable surfacing materials provided
Height of all equipment is 8 feet or lower
Appropriate depth of loose fill provided
Six foot use zone has appropriate surfacing
Concrete footings are covered X
Surface free of foreign objects X
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Equipment is free of noticeable gaps
Equipment is free of head entrapments
Equipment is free of broken parts X
Equipment is free of missing parts X
Equipment is free of protruding bolts X
Equipment is free of rust
Equipment is free of splinters
Equipment is free of cracks/holes X
TOTAL POINTS 9 15
General Comments:
• Muddy area by play area needs grass planted but they just planted trees there.
• People need to pick up after there pets
• Bathroom should be cleaned better
• Short wood fence around one of the swing sets serves no purpose and should be removed kids can climb over it
and get splinters
• Need picnic tables or more benches near play area
• There is a semi-new retaining wall but there is big spaces at either end of it that could trap a Child.
National Program for Playground Safety: ~ www.playgroundsafety.org
SCORING SYSTEM
Total the number of “Yes”
answers in the “Total Points”
box in the table.
24 – 20 = A Congratulations on
having a SAFE playground.
Please continue to maintain this
excellence.
19 – 17 = B
Your playground is on its way to
providing a safe environment for
children. Work on the areas checked
‘No’.
16 – 13 = C
Your playground is potentially
hazardous for children. Take
corrective measures.
12 – 8 = D
Children are at risk on this
playground. Start to make
improvements.
7 & = F
Do not allow children on this
playground. Make changes
immediately.
**If any of the gray boxes
are marked ‘NO’, the
potential of a life
threatening injury is
significantly increased.
Contact the owner of the
playground.
Explanation of Risk Factor Criteria
SUPERVISION
*1. Since equipment can’t supervise children, it is important that adult supervision is present when children are playing on the playground.
2. In order to properly supervise, children need to be seen. This question is asking if there are any blind spots where children can hide out of the sight of the
supervisor.
3. Many crawl spaces, tunnels, and boxed areas have plexiglas or some type of transparent material present to allow the supervisor to see that a child is inside the
space. When blind tunnels are present, children cannot be properly supervised.
4. Rules help reinforce expected behavior. Therefore, the posting of playground rules is recommended. For children, ages 2-5, no more than three rules should be
posted. Children over the age of five will remember five rules. These rules should be general in nature, such as “respect each other and take turns.”
AGE APPROPRIATE DESIGN
*1. It is recommended that playgrounds have separate areas with appropriately sized equipment and materials to serve ages 2-5 and ages 5-12. Further, the
intended user group should be obvious from the design and scale of equipment. In playgrounds designed to serve children of all ages, the layout of
pathways and the landscaping of the playground should show the distinct areas for the different age groups. The areas should be separated at least by a buffer
zone, which could be an area with shrubs or benches.
*2. Either guardrails or protective barriers may be used to prevent inadvertent or unintentional falls off elevated platforms. However, to provide greater
protection, protective barriers should be designed to prevent intentional attempts by children.
3. Platforms over six feet in height should provide an intermediate standing surface where a decision can be made to halt the ascent or to pursue an alternative
means of descent.
4. Signs posted in the playground area can be used to give some guidance to adults as to the age appropriateness of equipment.
5. Children use equipment in creative ways which are not necessarily what the manufacturer intended when designing the piece. Certain
equipment pieces, like high tube slides, can put the child at risk if they can easily climb on the outside of the piece. The answer to this
question is a judgment on your part as to whether the piece was designed to minimize risk to the child for injury from a fall.
6. Support structures such as long poles, bars, swing frames, etc. become the play activity. The problem is that many times these structures
have no safe surfacing underneath and children fall from dangerous heights to hard surfaces.
FALL SURFACING
*1. Appropriate surfaces are either loose fill (engineered wood fiber, sand, pea gravel, or shredded tires) or unitary surfaces (rubber tiles, rubber mats, and
poured in place rubber). Inappropriate surface materials are asphalt, concrete, dirt, and grass. It should be noted that falls from 1 ft. onto concrete could
cause a concussion. Falls from a height of eight feet onto dirt is the same as a child hitting a brick wall traveling 30 mph.
*2. Research has shown that equipment heights can double the probability of a child getting injured. We recommend that the height of
equipment for pre-school age children be no higher than 6 feet and the height of equipment for school age children be limited to 8 feet. *3. Proper loose fill
surfacing must be at the appropriate depth to cushion falls. An inch of sand upon hard packed dirt will not provide any
protection. We recommend 12 inches of loose fill material under and around playground equipment.
*4. Appropriate surfacing should be located directly underneath equipment and extend six feet in all directions with the exception of slides
and swings, which have a longer use zone.
*5. You should not be able to see concrete footings around any of the equipment. Deaths or permanent disabilities have occurred from children falling off
equipment and striking their heads on exposed footings.
6. Glass, bottle caps, needles, trash, etc. can also cause injury if present on playground surfaces.
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
*1. Strangulation is the leading cause of playground fatalities. Some of these deaths occur when drawstrings on sweatshirts, coats, and other clothing get caught in
gaps in the equipment. The area on top of slides is one potential trouble spot.
*2. Entrapment places include between guardrails and underneath merry-go-rounds. Head entrapment occurs when the body fits through a space but the child’s
head cannot pass through the same space. This occurs because generally, young children’s heads are larger than their bodies. If the space between two parts
(usually guardrails) is more than three and a half inches then it must be greater than nine inches to avoid potential entrapment.
*3. Broken equipment pieces are accidents waiting to happen. If a piece of equipment is broken, measures need to be taken to repair the piece. In the meantime,
children should be kept off the equipment.
*4. Missing parts also create a playground hazard. A rung missing from a ladder, which is the major access point onto a piece of equipment, poses an unnecessary
injury hazard for the child.
5. Protruding bolts or fixtures can cause problems with children running into equipment or catching clothing. Therefore, they pose a potential safety hazard.
6. Exposed metal will rust. This weakens the equipment and will eventually create a serious playground hazard.
7. Wood structures must be treated on a regular basis to avoid weather related problems such as splinters. Splintering can cause serious injuries to children.
8. Plastic equipment may crack or develop holes due to temperature extremes and/or vandalism. This is a playground hazard.
*If these risk factors are missing, the potential for a life-threatening injury is significantly increased. 2006 National
Program for Playground Safety
America’s Playgrounds
Safety Report Card
DOES South Kitsap (Jackson and Lund) MAKE THE GRADE?
Evaluate your playground using the following criteria.
A full explanation of the criteria is on the back of this sheet.
Yes No
SUPERVISION
Adults present when children are on equipment X
Children can be easily viewed on equipment X
Children can be viewed in crawl spaces X
Rules posted regarding expected behavior X
AGE-APPROPRIATE DESIGN
Playgrounds have separate areas for ages 2-5 and 5-12 X
Platforms have appropriate guardrails X
Platforms allow change of directions to get on/off structure X
Signage indicating age group for equipment provided X
Equipment design prevents climbing outside the structure X
Supporting structure prevents climbing on it X
FALL SURFACING
Suitable surfacing materials provided X
Height of all equipment is 8 feet or lower X
Appropriate depth of loose fill provided X
Six foot use zone has appropriate surfacing X
Concrete footings are covered X
Surface free of foreign objects X
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Equipment is free of noticeable gaps X
Equipment is free of head entrapments X
Equipment is free of broken parts X
Equipment is free of missing parts X
Equipment is free of protruding bolts X
Equipment is free of rust X
Equipment is free of splinters X
Equipment is free of cracks/holes X
TOTAL POINTS 19 6
General Comments:
• Not enough pea gravel underneath tires swing, when it rains it is when beneath
• Metal bars are slippery when wet
• The public water tap near the restrooms does not completely close and gallons of water is being wasted.
For Additional Resources and Information Contact:
National Program for Playground Safety: 1-800-554-PLAY (7529) ~ www.playgroundsafety.org
SCORING SYSTEM
Total the number of “Yes”
answers in the “Total Points”
box in the table.
24 – 20 = A Congratulations on
having a SAFE playground.
Please continue to maintain this
excellence.
19 – 17 = B
Your playground is on its way to
providing a safe environment for
children. Work on the areas checked
‘No’.
16 – 13 = C
Your playground is potentially
hazardous for children. Take
corrective measures.
12 – 8 = D
Children are at risk on this
playground. Start to make
improvements.
7 & = F
Do not allow children on this
playground. Make changes
immediately.
**If any of the gray boxes
are marked ‘NO’, the
potential of a life
threatening injury is
significantly increased.
Contact the owner of the
playground.
Explanation of Risk Factor Criteria
SUPERVISION
*1. Since equipment can’t supervise children, it is important that adult supervision is present when children are playing on the playground.
2. In order to properly supervise, children need to be seen. This question is asking if there are any blind spots where children can hide out of the sight of the
supervisor.
3. Many crawl spaces, tunnels, and boxed areas have plexiglas or some type of transparent material present to allow the supervisor to see that a child is inside the
space. When blind tunnels are present, children cannot be properly supervised.
4. Rules help reinforce expected behavior. Therefore, the posting of playground rules is recommended. For children, ages 2-5, no more than three rules should be
posted. Children over the age of five will remember five rules. These rules should be general in nature, such as “respect each other and take turns.”
AGE APPROPRIATE DESIGN
*1. It is recommended that playgrounds have separate areas with appropriately sized equipment and materials to serve ages 2-5 and ages 5-12. Further, the
intended user group should be obvious from the design and scale of equipment. In playgrounds designed to serve children of all ages, the layout of
pathways and the landscaping of the playground should show the distinct areas for the different age groups. The areas should be separated at least by a buffer
zone, which could be an area with shrubs or benches.
*2. Either guardrails or protective barriers may be used to prevent inadvertent or unintentional falls off elevated platforms. However, to provide greater
protection, protective barriers should be designed to prevent intentional attempts by children.
3. Platforms over six feet in height should provide an intermediate standing surface where a decision can be made to halt the ascent or to pursue an alternative
means of descent.
4. Signs posted in the playground area can be used to give some guidance to adults as to the age appropriateness of equipment.
5. Children use equipment in creative ways which are not necessarily what the manufacturer intended when designing the piece. Certain
equipment pieces, like high tube slides, can put the child at risk if they can easily climb on the outside of the piece. The answer to this
question is a judgment on your part as to whether the piece was designed to minimize risk to the child for injury from a fall.
6. Support structures such as long poles, bars, swing frames, etc. become the play activity. The problem is that many times these structures
have no safe surfacing underneath and children fall from dangerous heights to hard surfaces.
FALL SURFACING
*1. Appropriate surfaces are either loose fill (engineered wood fiber, sand, pea gravel, or shredded tires) or unitary surfaces (rubber tiles, rubber mats, and
poured in place rubber). Inappropriate surface materials are asphalt, concrete, dirt, and grass. It should be noted that falls from 1 ft. onto concrete could
cause a concussion. Falls from a height of eight feet onto dirt is the same as a child hitting a brick wall traveling 30 mph.
*2. Research has shown that equipment heights can double the probability of a child getting injured. We recommend that the height of
equipment for pre-school age children be no higher than 6 feet and the height of equipment for school age children be limited to 8 feet. *3. Proper loose fill
surfacing must be at the appropriate depth to cushion falls. An inch of sand upon hard packed dirt will not provide any
protection. We recommend 12 inches of loose fill material under and around playground equipment.
*4. Appropriate surfacing should be located directly underneath equipment and extend six feet in all directions with the exception of slides
and swings, which have a longer use zone.
*5. You should not be able to see concrete footings around any of the equipment. Deaths or permanent disabilities have occurred from children falling off
equipment and striking their heads on exposed footings.
6. Glass, bottle caps, needles, trash, etc. can also cause injury if present on playground surfaces.
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
*1. Strangulation is the leading cause of playground fatalities. Some of these deaths occur when drawstrings on sweatshirts, coats, and other clothing get caught in
gaps in the equipment. The area on top of slides is one potential trouble spot.
*2. Entrapment places include between guardrails and underneath merry-go-rounds. Head entrapment occurs when the body fits through a space but the child’s
head cannot pass through the same space. This occurs because generally, young children’s heads are larger than their bodies. If the space between two parts
(usually guardrails) is more than three and a half inches then it must be greater than nine inches to avoid potential entrapment.
*3. Broken equipment pieces are accidents waiting to happen. If a piece of equipment is broken, measures need to be taken to repair the piece. In the meantime,
children should be kept off the equipment.
*4. Missing parts also create a playground hazard. A rung missing from a ladder, which is the major access point onto a piece of equipment, poses an unnecessary
injury hazard for the child.
5. Protruding bolts or fixtures can cause problems with children running into equipment or catching clothing. Therefore, they pose a potential safety hazard.
6. Exposed metal will rust. This weakens the equipment and will eventually create a serious playground hazard.
7. Wood structures must be treated on a regular basis to avoid weather related problems such as splinters. Splintering can cause serious injuries to children.
8. Plastic equipment may crack or develop holes due to temperature extremes and/or vandalism. This is a playground hazard.
*If these risk factors are missing, the potential for a life-threatening injury is significantly increased. 2006 National
Program for Playground Safety
America’s Playgrounds
Safety Report Card
DOES VAN ZEE PARK (300 Tremont) MAKE THE GRADE?
Evaluate your playground using the following criteria.
A full explanation of the criteria is on the back of this sheet.
Yes No
SUPERVISION
Adults present when children are on equipment X
Children can be easily viewed on equipment X
Children can be viewed in crawl spaces X
Rules posted regarding expected behavior X
AGE-APPROPRIATE DESIGN
Playgrounds have separate areas for ages 2-5 and 5-12 X
Platforms have appropriate guardrails X
Platforms allow change of directions to get on/off structure X
Signage indicating age group for equipment provided X
Equipment design prevents climbing outside the structure X
Supporting structure prevents climbing on it X
FALL SURFACING
Suitable surfacing materials provided X
Height of all equipment is 8 feet or lower X
Appropriate depth of loose fill provided X
Six foot use zone has appropriate surfacing X
Concrete footings are covered – see note below X
Surface free of foreign objects X
EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
Equipment is free of noticeable gaps X
Equipment is free of head entrapments X
Equipment is free of broken parts X
Equipment is free of missing parts X
Equipment is free of protruding bolts X
Equipment is free of rust X
Equipment is free of splinters X
Equipment is free of cracks/holes X
TOTAL POINTS 16 8
General Comments:
• Not enough pea gravel underneath tires swing, when it rains it is when beneath
• Metal bars are slippery when wet
• There appears to be something that looks like fire pit inside the play area (within the pea gravel). It might
have once contained a piece of equipment but now is just a hallow CONCRETE Base.
For Additional Resources and Information Contact:
National Program for Playground Safety: 1-800-554-PLAY (7529) www.playgroundsafety.org
SCORING SYSTEM
Total the number of “Yes”
answers in the “Total Points”
box in the table.
24 – 20 = A Congratulations on
having a SAFE playground.
Please continue to maintain this
excellence.
19 – 17 = B
Your playground is on its way to
providing a safe environment for
children. Work on the areas checked
‘No’.
16 – 13 = C
Your playground is potentially
hazardous for children. Take
corrective measures.
12 – 8 = D
Children are at risk on this
playground. Start to make
improvements.
7 & = F
Do not allow children on this
playground. Make changes
immediately.
**If any of the gray boxes
are marked ‘NO’, the
potential of a life
threatening injury is
significantly increased.
Contact the owner of the
playground.
1dependent.com
Aaron Burkhalter/Staff Photo
WSUintern Matthew Macaras inspects the wall he helped build
at Central Park on Dekalb.
Pagel\9
Central
Parkgeis
new wall
Independent News Sources
PortOrchard's Central Park; a
playfield located on Dwight Street
between Seattle and Harrison,
is receiving a much-needed wall
along its east side.
A wall that Hnes the park
holds the land elevated above
the houses to its east. Over the
years, the old wall began to warp,
dumping soil onto the adjacent
properties,
The park has been closed
this week, as ail intern from
Public Works oversees the
wall replacement. Matthew
Macaras, an engineerip.g
student from Western
Washington .. Univ~rsity,
directed the $20,000 project,
which installed segments of
wall in large concrete ~locks.
Macaras, 22, said the project
has so far come under budget,
around $17,000. L.J
. . '033· ~{) '0
1
James Weaver
From:Kissy Strombeck [kmstrombeck@msn.com]
Sent:Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:16 PM
To:James Weaver
Cc:Becci Vanni; billandjulia@msn.com; Carol Riehl; Daba Pagel; Janet McDermott; jeannine
mccurrie; Jennifer Newcomer; Kelsay Irby
Subject:Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan 2008
Categories:Comprehensive Plan
Kissy Strombeck
kmstrombeck@msn.com
Port Orchard, WA, 98366
April 16, 2008
James Weaver
jweaver@cityofportorchard.us
Port Orchard Planning Department
216 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA, 98366
Dear Mr. Weaver,,
On Monday, April 21, 2008 there will be a Port Orchard Comprehensive Plan General Meeting for
2008.
As a member of a group of concerned citizens regarding the future of Port Orchard Parks and
Recreation, would it be imperative that we show up at this first meeting? Do we need to bring
a list of goals and objectives? Is it important to come to this meeting with many interested
parties or would a few suffice? Will the future agenda be based on your findings from the
April 21, 2008 first general meeting of Open Space & Parks: Public Parks, community centers,
& recreation. Or will you still be taking community goals and objectives after this first
general meeting?
I understand that it might be cumbersome to serve the public interest regarding the Open
Space & Parks Comprehensive Plan but we are very interested in this area of planning for our
community. As concerned citizens and as concerned parents we would like to be involved in
this planning process and have a meaningful role in the development of plans and programs for
the City of Port Orchard Parks and Recreation.
2
In addition, a few of us tried to fill out the online survey and unfortunately, it is still
under construction. We are hoping that it will be up and running soon to post our comments
and opinions on the survey.
Sincerely,
Kissy Strombeck
.
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