New West Park playground focuses on accessibility

ELYRIA — As the city put the finishing touches on its new West Park playground this week, officials said it was hard to keep kids off the equipment ahead of the official opening. The draw of the bright new equipment was still clear after it officially opened on Wednesday, as kids and parents climbed on and raced around the new adaptable playground even as it started to rain. Parks and Recreation Director Carrie Reardon, Mayor Kevin Brubaker and several members of City Council cut a ribbon to mark the opening of the playground, as kids were already climbing and laughing on the equipment behind them. Reardon said that the new playground at West Park is the first in the city to emphasize adaptability, including features and elements to ensure that kids of all levels of ability could have a fun day of play. Rather than mulch, the new playground uses a poured rubber base to make it more accessible. It also features a ramp onto the lower portions of the playground as well as individual elements surrounding the main structure, which are more accessible to children who are in wheelchairs or otherwise can't climb. "We as the city of Elyria did not have an accessible playground," Reardon said. "So we really looked into that and, with the help of the residents with the design, we decided to make this our first." The project cost $650,000, half of which was covered by a $325,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources through its Land and Water Conservation Fund, awarded to the city about a year ago. About $177,000 in further funding came from a federal Community Development Block Grant, or CDBG, and the rest was covered by funds raised through the city's 2016 half-percent income tax. The bright playground, which features lots of neon green, blue, orange and purple elements, was designed by Snider Recreation of North Royalton. West Park was selected because its playground equipment had not been replaced since the 1980s and because the park had the space that was needed to expand the playground footprint, which was required by the new design. Additionally, Reardon said, it is expected to see a lot of use because of the other draws West Park has. "We thought this was a great spot to do it because of the use at this park," she said. "You have the rec center here, you have the splash pad here, softball and baseball fields, so there are really always people here, and we believed it would be the best spot." Council President Donna Mitchell, D-6th Ward, represents the neighborhood that includes West Park, and she said she felt the upgrade made West Park arguably the best in the city. "It is awesome, and I hope — well, I know — the kids are going to come out and use it for sure," Mitchell said. "We definitely needed to upgrade the playground and equipment, and I think this just takes West Park over the top. Maybe I am a little biased, but I think we have the best park in the city." Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.