TITLE:
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APPROVE PROPOSED DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS FOR BRENTWOOD pARK
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DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT/MAINTENANCE SERVICES DIVISION
PRESENTED BY: RAJA SETHURAMAN, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION: ROBERT RYAN, MAINTENANCE SERVICES DIVISION MANAGER, (714) 754-5123
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff recommends the Parks and Community Services Commission approve the conceptual design plan, and other park components for the proposed improvements at Brentwood Park, 265 Brentwood Street, Costa Mesa.
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BACKGROUND:
Brentwood Park, originally constructed in 1978 as a 1.5-acre park, was expanded to 2.6 acres after the City acquired the additional space following the closing of Park Private Day School in 2007. The playground equipment currently in use was installed in 1995, making it one of the longest serving playgrounds in the City. Although the playground equipment and rubberized surface remain safe for use, the playground has become outdated and unsightly due to its age, with significant fading and deterioration of metal components and paint.
The park presently features a single playground structure intended for children aged 5-12, a sand volleyball court, a reservable picnic shelter, lighting and a large turf area. Brentwood Park is an integral part of the community in serving the nearby residents with recreational amenities. The proposed improvements will enhance the playground equipment, add swings, improve lighting, and provide seating options to support the playground.
The replacement of the playground equipment was added by City Council in Fiscal Year 2021-22 as a Capital Improvement Project. In April of 2025, staff was made aware of a potential grant opportunity offered through a partnership between GameTime/Great Western Recreation, a playground equipment design and manufacturing company and California Park and Recreation Society (CPRS). The grant would fund half of the cost for qualifying equipment included in the design.
ANALYSIS:
GameTime/Great Western Recreation provided a qualifying conceptual design based on feedback obtained directly from staff, Brentwood Park community group as well as through the review of public comments from several Council and PACS Commission meetings held on the matter (Attachment 1). A survey provided by the community group as well as comments from the public at regularly scheduled Council and Commission meetings prioritized the need for separate, age-appropriate play areas for children aged 2-5 years and 5-12 years, slides and a rock-climbing wall. The survey highlighted additional facility needs such as shade, benches, pathways and picnic tables.
In order to obtain additional community feedback, a City-sponsored online opinion survey was commissioned over the last two weeks to obtain further input. Signs were posted at Brentwood Park to notify the community of the survey. Notices of the on-line survey and scheduled Commission meeting and design presentation were canvased out to neighboring residents of the park.
In addition, staff conducted three separate pop-up community feedback events at Brentwood Park. The events were held on June 3rd, 4th and 5th at varied times to capture a diverse range of park user feedback. The events were promoted through social media and courtesy emails were emailed to the distribution list gathered from the survey responses.
The proposed design includes the amenities most requested by the community and offers a large variety of play and interactive equipment that fits within the existing footprint of the current playground area and sand volleyball courts. It also provides a significant amount of shade covering over the equipment, which is extremely desirable to keep the play equipment cool to the touch during hot, summer months.
The total cost of the play equipment as currently proposed in the conceptual layout is $314,398.78 (Attachment 2). If the City of Costa Mesa is approved for the grant, it would cover up to half of the cost of certain qualifying equipment. A separate construction contract will be executed for the installation of the playground, surfacing, shade structure, lighting and access improvements.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Commission may choose to provide suggestions to revise the proposed conceptual design plan or recommend staff to pursue a different design plan. Staff does not recommend this alternative as this would significantly delay the project, jeopardize grant funding and increase costs of the project.
FISCAL REVIEW:
Funding for this project includes $250,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund (Fund 401) as adopted in the Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget as well as $400,000 from the Park Development Fees Fund (Fund 208) as adopted in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget.
LEGAL REVIEW:
No legal review is required for this item.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends the Parks and Community Services Commission approve the conceptual design plan, and other park components for the proposed improvements at Brentwood Park, 265 Brentwood Street, Costa Mesa.