Inclusive Playground

PROJECT: Inclusive Playground at Tierra Rejada Park

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Moorpark City Council has had a goal for a number of years of providing the community with an Inclusive Playground that would provide recreation features and design elements that appeal to individuals of all abilities, including those with mobility, cognitive, developmental, sight and hearing impairments. The vision is for a community space that encourages individuals of all abilities to interact and play in an inclusive, fun, non-segregated setting.

Community input helped select a “whimsical” theme for the park, which will feature stylized natural elements including a “tree house” tower, a custom sensory wall, and other “whimsical” amenities to delight children and adults alike.

PUBLIC INPUT

Inclusive Playground Naming Contest!

During the winter of 2022/23 the community participated in a naming contest to select a unique name for the inclusive playground. The votes have been counted and the City Council has confirmed the winning name:

Naming Contest Winning Name Enchanted Playground

Coming soon, the Enchanted Playground at Tierra Rejada Park!

Past Outreach Activities

In 2019 the City began outreach to collect public input on this project. City staff collaborated with playground, landscape and civil engineers to develop the concept for the Inclusive Playground. Public forum and on-site stakeholder meetings were held in December of 2019 to gather public input on the project design. An online survey was also released to collect public preferences regarding the Inclusive Playground’s theme and features. Based on the results of the public input process, the following elements were selected to guide the design process:

THEME	COMPONENTS	AMENITIES
WHIMSICAL: Freeform & Dynamic Shapes, Vibrant Colors, Nature Elements	Elements of varying slope and elevation Elements that incorporate movement Spinners Slides Swings Crawlers & Tubes	Tactile Wall Shade Elements Alternate Seating Drinking Fountain

PRELIMINARY DESIGN

The following artist renderings represent early-stage conceptual designs for the project:

- Conceptual Layout -

Inclusive Playground Site Layout

- Concept Art -
Tree House and Sensory Wall

Inclusive Playground Sensory Wall Concept Design

GRANT FUNDING

A major hurdle for the inclusive playground project is funding. Inclusive playgrounds can cost from $750,000 to many millions of dollars. To help defray the cost, in 2020 the City applied for a grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The LWCF grant funds can be used for renovations or additions to existing parks, including construction of playgrounds. For this project, the City applied for funding to convert the existing playground area at Tierra Rejada Park into an Inclusive Playground.

In March 2022, the City was notified that the LWCF grant application had been approved by the National Park Service in the amount of $775,750. In addition, through the Proposition 68 Bond Fund approved by California voters in 2018, the City was eligible to receive a Per Capita Grant in the amount of $200,578.

In total the City has received $976,328 in grant funds for the project. The estimated total cost of the project is approximately $1,900,000.

NEXT STEPS

Currently the construction and bidding documents are being finalized, with an anticipated bidding date in Spring of 2023. Although supply chain issues may impact the construction timeline, it is anticipated that construction on the playground could be finalized in late 2023 / early 2024.