Portola Valley's Little People's playground to close Portola Valley's Little People's playground to close (March 16, 2005)

Aged playground equipment is forcing the closure of the kids playground at Portola Valley Town Center.

The Little People's Park playground will close April 29 because the equipment does not meet state health and safety standards, said Assistant Town Administrator Barbara Powell.

Along with poor equipment condition, the ground cover of wood chips does not meet state standards for breaking a child's fall, and there are potential traps for children's heads or torsos, said Ms. Powell.

At its March 9 meeting, the Town Council concurred with staff recommendations to close the park. The 45-day delay in closing it is intended to break the news gently to the community, said Ms. Powell.

Alternative playgrounds are located at 150 Andetta Way in Ladera and at Ormondale School at 200 Shawnee Pass. The Ormondale playground is open to the public after school and on weekends.

The council is considering re-opening Little People's Park playground by installing about $15,000 in new equipment until a new playground is built.

The recently completed conceptual master plan for the Town Center includes a new playground in phase 2 of the project -- sometime after 2007.

The town's Parks & Recreation Committee is meeting at 7 p.m. in Room 8 at the Town Center on Monday, March 21, to discuss options.

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