CITYOF SANMATEO
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CITYOFSANMATEO
AgendaReport
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www. cityofsanmateo. org
Agenda Number: 3 Section Name: {{section.name}} File ID: {{item. tracking_number}} TO: City Council
FROM: Drew Corbett, City Manager
PREPAREDBY: Parksand Recreation Department
MEETINGDATE: September 20, 2021
SUBJECT:
Central Park Playground – Preferred Alternative Design
RECOMMENDATION:
Review and comment on the preferred design alternative, Adventure Village, for the new Central Park Play Area.
BACKGROUND:
In March 2018, the City Council adopted an updated Master Plan and Mitigated Negative Declaration for Central Park, which identified a full scope of long-term improvements for the park. Due to its age and condition, the play area was identified as the first priority for renovation. Currently, the playground consists of a mix of equipment including a number of metal structures likely installed in the 1950’s, as well as a wood structure installed in 1994. There is also an existing restroom building, expansive sand areas, mature trees and a miniature train. Although several options to expand the miniature train footprint were presented during the Master Plan, the consensuswas to leave the train in its existing location.
The community outreach process for the playground design started in October 2019 with an on-site workshop to collect initial feedback on preferred playground character, features, materials, etc. A subsequent community- wide survey was also conducted to solicit feedback. The top responses for how the community would like the playground to feel were safe and fun, with the highest-ranking priorities listed as imaginative, inclusive and natural. The results for the favorite play elements were swings, slidesand climbing features with a desire to see additional shade, seating areas and water elements. Many participants commented on the need for an inclusive playground that could be used by children of all agesand abilities as well as one that was enclosed for increased safety.
The feedback collected from these efforts resulted in the design of two distinctly different conceptual alternatives, Concept 1- Adventure Village and Concept 2- Playful History (Attachment 1). Thesedesign alternatives were shared at several events to solicit feedback-at a LEAPpod with elementary school children held at the Martin Luther King Jr.
Community Center (April 2021), a virtual workshop (June2021), an on-site workshop (June2021) and a second community survey that was online from May-June2021. The overwhelming majority of children and adults preferred Concept 1, Adventure Village. They felt the natural character of Adventure Village fit well within the majestic tree canopy of the playground while the magical forest inspired creative and imaginative play. There were several features in Concept 2 Playful History that the public liked such as a zip line, bronze sculptures and a musical garden that have now been incorporated into Adventure Village. Utilizing the collective input from these public outreach events, a single Adventure Village Concept is now being presented in the design development stage (Attachment 2).
On September 1, the Park and Recreation Commission reviewed the preferred alternative and was very supportive of the Adventure Village design. Both the Commission and members of the public provided a number of comments that staff and the RRMdesign team believe will improve the overall design:
CITYOF SANMATEO
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Insure pathways and the boardwalk are wide enough for 2-way travel, i.e. wheelchairs, people stopping, etc.
Add more stair accesspoints along the boardwalk
Explore ways to prohibit bikes from accessingand utilizing the boardwalk Insure that arborist consultants are engaged early in the design process given the proximity of the urban forest Include design details that are more inclusive of other culture’s mythologies and stories The design team from RRMDesign Group will review the preferred alternative in more detail at the City Council meeting.
Worth noting in the Site Plan is that in addition to the renovated playground, the plan includes a new restroom building, located adjacent to the main pathway that will serve both the playground area as well as the future tennis courts that will be located acrossthe path, as well as a new picnic shelter with BBQ’s. Those design details as well as the next iteration of the playground design will be brought back to the Commission for further review and comment.
BUDGETIMPACT:
Anticipating the need for major funding to implement the Central Park Master Plan, park in-lieu fee funds have been incrementally added to the Central Park Capital Improvement Project over the past five years. Presently the balance sits at
7.5 million, with another $ 1 million budgeted for fiscal year 2021-22. RRMis presently working on a cost estimate for this first phase.
ENVIRONMENTALDETERMINATION:
In accordance with Public ResourcesCode Section 21065, the City Council’s review of and comment on the preferred design alternative is not a project subject to CEQAbecausethe Council is not taking action at this time.
NOTICEPROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 - Playful History Concept
Att 2 - Adventure Village Preferred DesignAlternative
STAFFCONTACT
SheilaCanzian, Director, Park and Recreation
[email protected]
650) 522-7404
CENTRALPARKPLAYGROUNDIMPROVEMENTS NOVEMBER4, 2020
SANMATEO, CA
PLAYGROUNDDESIGNALTERNATIVE2 : PLAN
0’ 32’16’8’ 48’
SCALE1” = 16’
MUSIC
GARDEN
RESTROOM
PICNIC
AREA
GROUP
PICNIC AREA
GARDEN-
THEMED TOT
AREA
BRONZE LION
TREE-LINED
PERGOLA
ZIP LINE
PONY CART
SLIDE
CARRIAGE
HOUSE
KOHL
MANSION
PLAYHOUSE
SCULPTURE
PLAZA
WATER
TABLE
WOOD
CLIMBERS
UNDER OAKS
CAROUSEL
SWINGS
GROUP
PICNIC AREA
EXISTING
TRAIN RIDE
TURF
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FITZGERALD
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DESIGNCONCEPT, ALTERNATIVE2 : PLAYFUL HISTORY
InspirationSketch
Illustrationof the KohlMansion
Central Park was formerly the site of a beautiful private estate – and William Kohl’s mansion was its centerpiece. This Victorian- era property was landscaped by the famous horticulturist John McLaren, and included gardens, specimen trees, sculptures and a wrought- iron fence that surrounded the property. Today all that remains of the estate is the wrought- iron fence, a sculpture and two out- buildings.
This design is inspired by the historic estate and it’s lush gardens. The Kohl Mansion playhouse offers numerous play experiences and immersive educational opportunities to tell some of the site’s stories.
The playhouse opens out onto the hub of the playground – the sculpture plaza that features a water table, engaging bronze sculptures and shaded tables for picnicking.
Beyond this is a fenced garden- themed tot zone, group picnic areas, a formal garden area, a wood pergola and perhaps the best of all: a traditional carousel ride.
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CENTRALPARKPLAYGROUNDIMPROVEMENTS NOVEMBER4, 2020
SANMATEO, CA
PLAYGROUNDDESIGNALTERNATIVE2 : VIEW2
CENTRALPARKPLAYGROUNDIMPROVEMENTS AUGUST2021
SANMATEO, CA
ADVENTUREVILLAGESITEPLAN
0’ 32’16’8’ 48’
SCALE1” = 16’
Frog Bubbling Brook Water Feature
Tot climber with small slide
Owl’s Nest Quiet Cubby
Willow hut
Stone seat walls
Sensory features along path
Parent picnic table
Toddler tables
Fairy Garden ( Fairy Play House with
slide, Magical Snail play sculpture,
Fairy Ring mushroom steppers/ seats)
Existing ficus tree root flare
Lower deck seating area
Stacked log climber
Stone cairn climbers
Layered stone wall
Zip line
Sculptural spinners
Magical Bird Climber
Stone entry plaza with public art
Willow arch entry to treasure hunt
Snake Sand Area
Flexible use lawn area
New restroom
New trees
Existing tree trunk locations
Group picnic shelter with BBQs
Wood/ composite gathering deck
with tables
Fabric shade shelter over gathering nodes
Music Area
Swing Zone ( high swings, basket, tire,
toddler bucket, belt, ADA harness seats)
Individual picnic area
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EXISTING GROUP
PICNIC
FUTURE TENNIS
COURT LOCATION
EXISTING TRAIN RIDE
New entry monument and planting
3’-high perimeter fence
Playground gated entry point
Passive picnic area beneath trees
Group picnic area
Top deck with tables
Rope tunnel
Climbing wall
Slide at boardwalk top deck
Stairs to existing train ride entry
LEGEND
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36 0’+2.5’
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10.5’
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7.5’
8’
Rubber/ artificial turf mound
2-story Wizard Tower with tube slide from second floor
Hobbit House beneath mound
Elf House Play Tower with overlook deck and bridges to mounds Pod climbers
Stone wall
Stairs to second floor of Lookout Tower
Accessible circulation with sensory features along perimeter of wall Slide coming off of stone mound
2-story Lookout Tower with accessible wide slide
Mulch area
Sand
Decomposed granite
Poured- in-place rubber/ cork surfacing
Engineered wood fiber
Artificial turf
Decorative concrete
Existing paving
New concrete path
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33 CENTRALPARKPLAYGROUNDIMPROVEMENTS AUGUST2021
SANMATEO, CA
ADVENTUREVILLAGE : VIEW1
CENTRALPARKPLAYGROUNDIMPROVEMENTS AUGUST2021
SANMATEO, CA
ADVENTUREVILLAGE : VIEW2