 New playground equipment inspired by the ideas of children will be installed at Heights Park by early summer. The playground is the most recent park construction project being developed by the City. Construction of a new Huffhines Recreation Center and ballfields at Breckinridge and Huffhines parks will be completed this year, the 50th anniversary of the Richardson Parks and Recreation Department.
“The Richardson Parks and Recreation Department is in a time of renewal,” Parks and Recreation Director Michael Massey said. “These new projects are creating excitement as they offer quality features families are interested in when they choose where to live. We have found that young families investing in Richardson by purchasing homes and raising their children here is good for property values and economic development.”
Site Masters, a playground design and safety firm led by Teri Hendy and Human Nature, a landscape architectural services company, were hired as the Playground Design Team. Park Planner Tom Blagg served in the lead role for the City on the design team.
One of the first things the design team did was to hold a children’s focus group meeting in July, 2008. Children from local neighborhoods, ranging in age from pre-school to 12 years old, were given the opportunity to design and discuss the type of equipment they liked to play on at the park. Input from the children’s parents was also solicited at the meeting. The design team then took this information and developed concept plans for the playground. The plans were shown to the involved children and parents at a follow-up focus group meeting held in November and according to Blagg the response was extremely positive. The final design plans were submitted by the City’s Park and Recreation Committee to the City Council which approved the purchase of the new playground equipment at its Jan. 12 meeting. The new playground equipment will be supplied by The Miracle Recreation Equipment Company.
The Playground
Based on input from the focus group, the design team developed a “Tree House” theme for the playground with an emphasis on nature.
“Our goal was to provide a safe play environment for the children,” Blagg said, “but we also wanted them to enjoy the playground and be able to utilize their imaginations.”
The playground was designed with two separate play areas with age-appropriate equipment. One area is meant for ages 2 to 5 and the second for the 5 to 12 age group. A bridge feature across a dry stream bed with sand and boulders connects the two areas. The dry stream bed adds a sense of exploration for the children without the added mess of water. Classically styled benches along a horseshoe-shaped sidewalk provide a central location for parents to sit and view both play areas.
The area for ages 5 to 12 has a two-story “Tree House” structure that has two tube slides that twist and turn down from the upper “lookout tower.” The lower level of the tower connects to another deck via a bridge and also has an open slide.
“We found in our focus group that the older kids liked the elevation feature,” Blagg said. “The tower is completely enclosed but still gives the feeling of height.”
There are two “rock climbing” panels attached at the bottom of the main tower, a “delight-o-scope” telescope and two lean out enclosures on the top level of the tower.
The “space net” will be a popular piece of equipment for the older kids according to Blagg. This stand-alone piece has a single, 18-foot tall support post at the center with a series of ropes in a spider web pattern attached from the top of the post to four ground anchors that are set 32 feet apart. The ropes are positioned in a way that creates a “safety net.”
The play equipment for ages 2 to 5 continues the tree house theme but at a less elevated level. There are two slides, a sloped rock climbing wall, ladders, a chime panel and a “fun fone.”
Both play areas will have swing sets and the area for older children will also have a tire swing. Fibar Systems® safety mats will be installed under all the swings and slide exits.
For the “Nature Play” element of the area, two Woodland Series products will be installed. The products are replicas of a fallen tree stump and a hollowed out standing tree stump. Children can crawl on, crawl in and crawl through the pieces. They are made of urethane foam and are formed and painted to replicate bark texture, knots, plant life, animals and insects on the surface of a decaying tree stump.
“The construction of the new playground at Heights Park continues the enhancement of City facilities as the Parks and Recreation Department celebrates our 50th anniversary, recognizing our past accomplishments and new beginnings,” Massey said. “I hope all who visit there enjoy the play value the new playground offers as new memories are created for our kids, parents and generations to come.”
History
 In 2007, the City of Richardson conducted a public consensus building process leading to the development of a Master Plan for the future redevelopment of Heights Park. Several public meetings were held along with a survey to determine how the community wanted the park to be developed in the future. During this process, concerns surfaced about the future playground for the park including some of the existing play equipment for historical and sentimental reasons. There was strong support to see if some of the original play equipment, in particular, the Rocket Ship, could be reused in the future playground for the park. The City Council formed the Heights Park Playground Task Force (HPPTF) to study these issues and report their findings to the City Council before the “preferred” master plan could be approved.
Click on the following links to read a summary of the Task Force's findings, the City Council's direction, and the action plan/update. Please send questions and comments to HeightsPark@cor.gov.
Read a letter from Mayor Steve Mitchell.
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