MAXWELL FARMS REGIONAL PARK
Integrated Accessible Playground

Public Meeting - May 10, 2007

Postcard (96K)

Public Meetings - Feb. 15 & 17, 2007

Flyer in English (421K)
Flyer in Spanish (311K)

Background

In 1980, the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department acquired 80 acres from George Maxwell for development of a new park to serve the unincorporated areas of the Sonoma Valley.  The upper 35 acres were to be developed for active use, while the lower 45 acres were preserved with a conservation easement for passive use.  In 1985-86, the Probation Camp installed the existing play equipment, which was funded primarily by local donations.

This equipment was upgraded in 2001 with a transfer module and resilient surfacing to meet the minimum requirements for disabled access, but the improvements fell far short of providing full access to persons with severe mobility impairments that require wheelchairs or other assisted devices.

Current Status

 The play equipment is now 20 years old and in need of major maintenance work and upgrades to comply with current playground safety requirements and accessibility standards.  Due to public safety concerns, park operations staff closed the play structure and fenced the area.  Planning staff met with the play equipment manufacturer’s representative to discuss the existing condition of the play structure and remedial work that would be required to restore it to a safe public playground. Using County labor forces, the estimated cost of the necessary repairs and safety requirements was over $35,000.  In addition, to meet current accessibility standards and publicly bid the renovations, the cost of the project would increase significantly.

Regional Parks Foundation

The Regional Parks Foundation’s Board of Directors has agreed to lead a fundraising effort for a project to replace the existing school age play equipment with a new integrated accessible play structure that can be used independently by children and caregivers with a wide range of physical abilities.  The development of the project design and construction will include community input and volunteer support.  A scoping meeting to gather preliminary ideas from children, adults, and disabled advocacy groups for the new facility will be held at the Boys & Girls Club.  Regional Parks will request design proposals based on these ideas and the existing play area boundaries from a variety of play equipment suppliers and designers, and will request presentation boards for public review and comment.  Review of the design proposals will be performed by the staff, parents, and children of the Boys & Girls Club, along with any other interested individuals or agencies, and a final design will be selected for implementation.

The role of the Foundation will be to seek support and project sponsorship by helping organize community meetings, recruiting proponents among interested individuals, groups, and agencies, and to provide fund raising support in the form of activities, donations, and sponsorships to implement the project.  Our fundraising target for the purchase and installation of the equipment and related amenities will be $150,000. 

Project Timeline

The tentative project schedule is shown below:

For information on the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation, and how you can help, please call us at (707) 565-2041, or email mjdelos@cs.com.     

Learn more about the Foundation, or make a donation online, by visiting the Foundation website.