City: ‘soft’ donations needed to pay for Children’s Park surface material

For more information, visit cityofhoodriver.com, facebook.com/chil... or email childrenspark@cit....

An additional $35,000 in community donations would finance the Poured-In-Place (PIP) surface, which allows for a softer, safer, more durable and accessible playing surface for the playground, the city said in a press release. If the budget goal is not met, an alternative ground surface would be a less expensive, less desirable chip surfacing that lacks many benefits offered by PIP.

“The Poured-In-Place surface would not only bring the new Children’s Park to a ‘top-notch’ level, it would also make the majority of play elements accessible to those with disabilities,” said Hood River City Council Member Megan Saunders. A PIP playground surface, consisting of a layer of rubber mixed and poured over a thick sub-base, has been identified as the best option for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliancy, and offers long-term cost savings due to lower maintenance costs.

City officials said donations are critical in the development of a new Children’s Park that is 3,000 square feet larger in size compared to the original design, with more than 50 new play elements created from durable composite recycled plastics. The expected life of the new park is 30 to 40 years.

The Children’s Park rebuild is being financed with matching $150,000 contributions from the City of Hood River and Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District. The remaining $135,000 budget required to build the community-designed park are hoped to be raised by individual and business donations, with close to $100,000 already committed. The total project cost of $435,000 is based on actual supplier costs and estimates for the final Children’s Park design, including site preparation, materials, playground equipment, freight transport, and incidentals like fencing and recognition plaques.

Tax deductible donations can be made online (gofundme.com/childrenspark) or mailed to the Hood River Rotary Foundation at P.O. Box 1187, Hood River, OR 97031 (note “Children’s Park Fund” in check memo).