Greenwood council picks preferred playground design, plans vendor review and grant compliance

Greenwood council members selected a preferred playground design and agreed to pursue Land and Water Conservation Fund compliance and procurement steps to secure that design.

A city staff member told the council they had reviewed five proposals and recommended choosing the design the board preferred, even if it required a written justification to the grant coordinator to select a higher-cost option than the lowest bid. "My approach to this tonight is we should select the design that you prefer," the staff member said, adding that staff would draft the required justification letter to the grant coordinator.

Council members favored a design with a spread-out layout and a dome climber that offers sensory and three-dimensional play. One lawmaker said the design "has more equipment" and is "not all jammed in," and others noted the importance of accessible ramps and surfacing for wheelchairs. The council discussed whether pieces from different vendors could be combined; staff warned that combining items would require rebuilding the quote and could take more time.

On surfacing, members debated a combination of poured-in-place surfacing and artificial turf versus an all-turf option. One council member urged "all turf" to avoid seams separating over time; others noted a two-color turf option could meet aesthetic preferences.

Patrick Bono of Perma advised the council on safety standards and certifications, including ASTM 1487, IPEMA certification and CPSI inspection, and recommended requiring vendors to certify compliance before city acceptance. "If the equipment that they put in here has an IPEMA certification, then it's durable, it's been tested," Bono said.

Next steps: staff will invite the vendor representative to the Jan. 13 meeting with large-scale renderings and material samples for final selection, prepare grant-justification materials for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and proceed toward contract once certifications and final design choices are confirmed.