Lemon Grove approves playground equipment

New, inclusive playground equipment will soon be installed at Lemon Grove Park following the City Council’s approval Tuesday to award a $212,368 contract to Miracle Recreation Equipment Company to purchase and install it.

Director of Public Works Izzy Murguia, who presented the plan during Tuesday’s meeting, said the current playground was installed about 20 years ago. As it has aged, it has needed an increasing number of repairs, but some of the replacement parts for it are no longer manufactured.

“This swing is ADA-approved, and it includes a threepoint harness and essentially gives kids of all abilities the opportunity to engage in swinging, which is a valuable sensory play feature for children,” Murguia said.

The new equipment at Lemon Grove Park on Washington Street will include one play area for children ages 2 through 5 and another for ages 5 through 12, along with sensory ground equipment, shade structures and wood fiber safety surfacing underneath it. A six-seat swing set will replace the current two-seat one, and it will include seats for toddlers, children with disabilities and one where older children or guardians can swing in tandem facing toddlers.

Installation of the new playground is expected to take four weeks in May and it’s expected to be completed in June.

During the meeting, Councilmember Liana LeBaron said she was voting in opposition to approve the funding because she thought the city had already approved the funding for the playground equipment. City Manager Lydia Romero corrected her, sharing background that previous votes approved funding repairs and playground replacement parts at various city parks.

Most of the funding comes from a $194,216 grant the city applied for to purchase the new equipment from the state’s Per Capita program, which is used for local park rehabilitation, creation and improvement. The City Council, including LeBaron, unanimously approved the grant application in a 4-0 vote on Nov. 2, 2021, with Mayor Racquel Vasquez absent during that meeting. The city received the grant in January 2022. •

The San Diego Union-Tribune, P.O. Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191