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Main Playground Resurfacing Project Starting Monday, 10/28

Main Playground Resurfacing Project Starting Monday, 10/28

The Main Playground Resurfacing project will start on Monday, October 28th and is expected to take roughly 2 weeks. The playground will be closed during this time.

Here is a write-up we included in the October Signal detailing the scope of work:

After many months of discussion, designs and redesigns, the board has officially approved a proposal to resurface the main playground! This all came about after an annual playground safety inspection let us know that the sand and rubber surfaces were out of compliance. One particular issue was installing sand right up against rubber – the sand is extremely corrosive. It removes the sealant layer on top, then gets into the rubber and breaks it down. And since the seal is removed, the sun dries out and hardens the rubber, reducing its effectiveness as a safety material.

Here is a breakdown of the resurfacing plan:

The playground will still remain at least a majority sand, however we will add about a 15’ section of wood chips where the monkey bars and swings currently are. South of that, we’ll add a 6’ stretch of brand new rubber that will run parallel to the concrete/basketball courts. This rubber can act as a stroller parking station before the wood chips start. Where the southernmost shade sail column starts, it’ll remain sand all the way.

Why are we adding wood chips?

  • They are cheaper to replenish than sand.
  • They do not damage the rubber like sand does.
  • They provide a better and safer material than sand does for falling.
  • They do not need to be raked out and maintained like sand does.

We understand that the sand is very popular (for the kids at least!) so the desire was to keep as much of that in the playground area as possible. Adding wood chips between it let us do that, and also replace the dried out rubber without worrying about the new rubber drying out or needing to be replaced in the not-so-distant future. Every single vendor we talked to about this said sand next to rubber is a terrible idea, and should be avoided at all costs.

We do not yet have a confirmed start date. This project will likely either be completed before the end of October, or sometime early next year, after the rainy season is over. The playground will be closed while this project is underway, but it shouldn’t take more than 1-2 weeks. As soon as we have dates available, we will let you know via eSignal and a post on the HOA website.