How We Plan a Park

We've heard a lot of feedback on our Kerr-Rotary Park playground survey. Thank you to everyone who has weighed in so far and to those that have provided questions and comments on this project.

We appreciate the interest and, like you, want this to be a playground that will serve our community for years to come!

The piece of playground equipment that we have asked for your feedback on is just one component of a larger park revitalization project. Due to current lead times for ordering large equipment, we need to decide on the primary piece of equipment right away—which is why we presented this for feedback on its own.

In addition, we plan to install a small natural playground (targeting our youngest visitors, ages 6 months–5 years), as well as additional smaller pieces of playground equipment. We are also installing a new swing set that will include an adaptive swing seat as well as an expression swing! As we continue to move through our site design process, we look forward to more input. We will have a complete site concept design to share very soon.

Our Approach

In terms of our approach to playground and park planning, we are using guiding principles of safety, accessibility, inclusivity, and durability to guide this project.

What does this mean?

Safety:

• Kerr Park is an old park! Most of the playground equipment was installed in the 1980s and has had only minor improvements since that time. A feature piece (the merry-go-round) was removed for safety reasons in 2020 and was not replaced. Some features in the park would likely not meet modern safety requirements for playground equipment.
• The objective of this project is to attract more positive use to the park. This park sees high rates of loitering from non-playground users and parks staff spend a significant amount of time at this location addressing garbage and other cleanup concerns. More positive use and activity in this park can help to discourage the negative uses and activity this playground and surrounding park area experiences.
• We are working to ensure that site planning for this project is undertaken with a lens of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). We will be removing some of the understory as well as removing select trees to open the playground up and improve sightlines and visibility in the park. This work will improve overall user comfort and safety. It will be done very intentionally to retain the look and feel of this park, as well as to retain the shade benefits of the trees.

Accessibility

• Kerr Park is one of two municipal playgrounds available to the growing population on the Southside of Terrace. Our Parks Master Plan (2016) identified that many Southside families do not have vehicles, and thus access to northside parks and playgrounds is challenging. The City of Terrace continues to see growth and development on the Southside, and particularly in medium/high density and family-oriented housing. With this population growth, the corresponding need for recreational amenities to be easily accessible by residents on foot is highlighted.
• We will be installing an adaptive swing seat that allows for children with reduced mobility to enjoy swinging safely. This seat is molded and has a restraining device to allow for safe usage.
• We will be improving the condition and safety of the access paths that access the play features. This will enhance the accessibility for wheelchair users and strollers, and improve general mobility of small children. We will be seeking funding to eventually be able to install rubberized surfacing, but for now, the surfacing will remain pea gravel, and we likely use wood chips for the natural playground area.

Inclusivity

• An inclusive playground allows children of all abilities and developmental stages to play in the same space and creates a nurturing environment for all.
• Our objective is to include play features that serve all ages and users to the best of our budget ability. We are in the early stages of planning a natural playground, like what is at Uplands elementary school—essentially a series of natural structures, wood rounds and planks arranged in a way that promotes balance, coordination, and free play.
• We are continuing to look at sensory playground equipment that is specifically designed for all the senses and caters to children with auditory and visual challenges as well as autism.

Durability

• The supplier that we are using uses a unique anchoring system composed of stringers. This eliminates the need for concrete, which reduces installation and material costs. This system also more easily allows for changes to be made in the future with less work.

To vote on the Kerr-Rotary Park main playground structure, click here!