Circle C Metro Park Playground Project

Thank you for this opportunity for us to give feedback! I am a parent of a 9-year-old who is DeafBlind and needs support for walking (use a wheelchair or another person walking with him). We have friends with children in the same shoes. Can you look at adding ramps (that are also wonderful to run up on) and high-backed swing(s) designed for kids (and adults) who need more support? Also, have rubber walkways to these ramps and swinging areas because it's a challenge to roll wheelchairs and strollers in gravel. I've also seen panels that have ABCs in American Sign Language and other panels with braille on it. This would be a great opportunity for children to learn about and interact with neighbors who are just like them in a different way.

Re: Christine Balthazor
Thanks for your post. I totally agree that Circle C park has so much room to develop and so many things to build. I strongly support the following you wrote:
* A playground that encourages movement
* A Big sandbox area under the Heritage Oak Tree
* A zipline
* A climbing wall, a climbing structure with slides
* A splash pad
* The playground in San Antonio in Hemisfair park has pretty good features that I liked
https://freefuninaustin.com/photo-tour-rad-new-playground-in-san-antonios-hemisfair-park/
Gulseren Sera Mutlu

CIRCLE C METROPOLITAN PARK - COMMUNITY MEETING 8/7/19

WHY WE NEED TO MAXIMIZE ALL FUNDS TO UPDATE CIRCLE C METRO PARK
-As it stands, Circle C Metropolitan Park is the flagship park for southwest Austin. Between 2013 and 2017, southwest Austin has seen an increase of roughly 28,000 residents. Circle C (zip code 78739) has seen an eighteen percent increase. While this park sits within Circle C, it’s an attraction for many other residents. It draws large crowds on the weekends and even larger crowds during soccer season. Currently, the playscape size does not reflect the growth our community is seeing, nor is it accessible for all bodies. The closest “experiential” park is Zilker; this is not convenient for many families with little ones. Not to mention, you have to pay for parking, the equipment is aging and the train is broken. The closest all abilities parks are 27 miles south in San Marcos and 30 miles north in Round Rock. Southwest Austin is in need of an updated park for all bodies that can hold the volume of children it attracts.

PARK NEEDS
-Poured rubber safety surface
-Separate toddler & kids areas
-Bathrooms
-Shade
-Fenced In
-More swings: bucket, regular, all abilities
-Larger play areas with more features; i.e. sandbox, zipline, climbing rope structure, climbing boulder, themed liked playscapes (Pirate ship), bridges & ramps, roller slide

LIKE TO HAVE
-Large sandbox/dinosaur dig/sandbox with water feature. You can preserve the Heritage Oak tree and create a large sand play area underneath.
-Play structure with ramps & bridges for running and connecting slides/features
-Splash pad or bubblers
-Area with man made grassy hills to run/roll on
-Zipline features
-Pavilions with an additional larger pavilion for children’s activities. Bring in Mr. Will (or someone similar) for children’s entertainment, can rent out pavilions per City of Austin’s rates.

*see pages 2 & 3 for playscape/layout inspiration

WAYS TO FUND BEYOND BOND DOLLARS
-Private donation
-Corporate sponsorship/donation: ‘Play For All Park’ in Round Rock utilized sponsors for their features. “Nyle Maxwell Speedway” for their scooter area, “Nolan Ryan Foundation Train Pod”, “Seton/Ascension All Abilities Tree House”, etc.
-Buy a Brick program: families can buy a brick paver that could be incorporated into the entryway of the park
-Sponsor a pavilion (yearly)
-Crowd-source neighborhoods for donations
-Tax on soccer leagues
-Tap into Play For All Foundation (non-profit): RR Play For All Abilities ended up spending less than half of the amount allotted to their park budget thanks to non-profit funding, grants, donations & sponsorships
-Create a kids festival, trunk or treat, etc with pay for space opportunities among vendors

PARK INSPIRATION
San Marcos Children’s Park (San Marcos, TX)
Poured rubber
Large and separate play areas
Themed
All varieties of swings
Numerous slides for all levels
Open ended play structures

Old Settlers Park/Joanne Land Playground (Round Rock, TX)
Gravity Rail
Thrilling playscapes
Climbing towers
Obstacles
Slides/Tunnels

Play For All Abilities (Round Rock, TX)
All Abilities equipment
Themed play spaces
Place to ride bikes/scooters
Open Ended play

Celebration Park (Allen, TX)
Bridges that connect all parts of the large playscape
Splash Pad

Hope Park (Frisco, TX)
All abilities
Tot Lot & Big Kid Lot
Rubber
Climbing wall, slides, swings, train, teeter totter
Sensory area
Splash Park near park
The Gathering Place (Tulsa, OK)
Very large public park; can glean inspiration from a few of their play sections

Warren Township Park (Gurnee, IL)
Multiple play places; some with themes
Ages 2 to 12
Large sandbox dinosaur dig with water feature for open ended play
Climbing rope structure
Climbing boulder
This park anchors a baseball/softball complex and can handle a large volume of children
Independence Grove (Libertyville, IL)
Park built into landscape
Bridges/Tunnels
Climbing rock wall and boulder
Separate tot and kid play areas

BENEFITS OF SAND PLAY
-Coordination: develops and teaches bilateral and hand/eye coordination through filling buckets, making castles, drawing with a stick, etc.
-Interaction: sand play is often not a solo activity; imaginative play, role-playing, teamwork
-Uses different muscle parts: pouring, digging, scooping, sifting, carrying buckets
-Open Ended play
-Can improve a child’s focus and attention