Portola Valley New play structure slated for Town Center Portola Valley New play structure slated for Town Center (May 11, 2005)

The town of Portola Valley is acting to meet children's playground needs during several years of construction activity anticipated in the building of a new complex at Town Center.

On or about May 31, the current playground will close for about two weeks while employees of the public works department remove old equipment and install a new play structure at a total cost of about $20,000, town officials have said.

Around June 15, the playground will reopen with a compact prefabricated structure equipped with sliding boards, places to climb and look out, and a make-believe airplane cockpit, officials said.

Before the reopening, the town plans a weekend community day for volunteers and families to help spruce up the area and spread new ground cover material designed to cushion falls.

The town had planned to close the playground at the end of April, but delayed it in response to expressions of concern from families with young children.

The current playground includes a make-believe vehicle with a steering wheel, tires and a frame that invites climbing; a horizontal ladder; a hobby horse; lots of swings and a multi-level deck. It's all from another era, however.

The town's liability insurance carrier recently declared the structures unsafe for several reasons, including poor condition, insufficient cushioning by the ground cover, and opportunities for children to get various body parts wedged in gaps and openings.

A larger playground near the Historic Schoolhouse is part of the conceptual master plan for the Town Center, but for the next two years at least, families will have to make do with this interim solution.

For more information, call Howard Young, the town's public works director, at 851-1700, ext. 14, or go to the news section of portolavalley.net.

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