Playground equipment-Shoreview playground aims to be regional asset
Playground equipment-Shoreview playground aims to be regional asset
Sights are set high for a new playground at Turtle Lake Elementary with the goal of turning the school's equipment into a regional attraction for children of all abilities.
The new “inclusive” playground would consist of hard surfaces and other features that would allow users of wheelchairs and other assisting devices access to all areas.
“There is nowhere in the north metro area with this type of playground,” Turtle Lake Principal Darin Johnson said. “This will change the way children interact with one another.”
Johnson pointed to the proposed upgrades as a community asset, saying the existing playground and surrounding sport fields are already used by neighbors who arrive via a regional trail that runs along Lexington Avenue.
Plans are in the early stages, but the city is already on board with a $5,000 donation that was approved by council June 18. The city contributes $5,000 to school district playgrounds in need of replacement once every 10 years. Turtle Lake's playground was last updated in 1994. Shoreview replaces city park playground equipment roughly every 20 years, according to City Manager Terry Schwerm.
Turtle Lake currently enrolls 960 students in kindergarten through fifth-grade. Johnson said although the majority of kids can play on current equipment, he added that too often students who use wheelchairs or walking devices have to sit on the sidelines.
“All children should be able to use all parts of the playground,” he said. “Right now you have to hop in the car and drive to find something like this. This can set us apart from other cities.”
Turtle Lake parent Daria Fallgatter has a son who uses a wheelchair and is ready to enroll at the school next fall. Fallgatter is helping campaign for the equipment, and told her story to city council June 18.
“Playgrounds that were once a destination for our family have now become a barrier,” she said.
She said a trip to an inclusive playground in Red Wing, Minn. was an emotional experience for her son and two older daughters.
“He was able to play independently with his peers and sisters and it was beautiful,” Fallgatter said. “It was magical for our whole family and we can offer this magic to our school and community.”
Johnson said the project designs are still in early stages, but proposed “inclusive” equipment upgrades would represent a cost increase over more traditional equipment designs. He said he didn't know how much the project could cost or when it could be completed.
In Woodbury, inclusive playground Madison's Place is in the works at Bielenberg Sports Center Complex with funding from a variety of sources, including the city. That playground is expected to break ground sometime next summer, according to Yvonne Hundshamer, a spokeswoman for Woodbury nonprofit Madison Claire.
The Woodbury playground is Madison Claire's first project and is intended to be a model for others in Minnesota. The playground will be the first of its kind in the Twin Cities, according to Madison Claire's website.
Hundshamer said the Woodbury playground will be an estimated 15,000 square feet and will cost just over $1 million. A truly inclusive playground lacks woodchips, sand and rocks because those materials can make wheelchair and walker accessibility impossible, she said.
Shoreview City Council was supportive of the Turtle Lake project. The project also received two surprise donors last Monday, when Shoreview property owner Dave Kroona announced a $500 donation from both he and his attorney. Kroona has donated to Turtle Lake Elementary for other causes in the past.
Sights are set high for a new playground at Turtle Lake Elementary with the goal of turning the school's equipment into a regional attraction for children of all abilities.
The new “inclusive” playground would consist of hard surfaces and other features that would allow users of wheelchairs and other assisting devices access to all areas.
“There is nowhere in the north metro area with this type of playground,” Turtle Lake Principal Darin Johnson said. “This will change the way children interact with one another.”
Johnson pointed to the proposed upgrades as a community asset, saying the existing playground and surrounding sport fields are already used by neighbors who arrive via a regional trail that runs along Lexington Avenue.
Plans are in the early stages, but the city is already on board with a $5,000 donation that was approved by council June 18. The city contributes $5,000 to school district playgrounds in need of replacement once every 10 years. Turtle Lake's playground was last updated in 1994. Shoreview replaces city park playground equipment roughly every 20 years, according to City Manager Terry Schwerm.
Turtle Lake currently enrolls 960 students in kindergarten through fifth-grade. Johnson said although the majority of kids can play on current equipment, he added that too often students who use wheelchairs or walking devices have to sit on the sidelines.
“All children should be able to use all parts of the playground,” he said. “Right now you have to hop in the car and drive to find something like this. This can set us apart from other cities.”
Turtle Lake parent Daria Fallgatter has a son who uses a wheelchair and is ready to enroll at the school next fall. Fallgatter is helping campaign for the equipment, and told her story to city council June 18.
“Playgrounds that were once a destination for our family have now become a barrier,” she said.
She said a trip to an inclusive playground in Red Wing, Minn. was an emotional experience for her son and two older daughters.
“He was able to play independently with his peers and sisters and it was beautiful,” Fallgatter said. “It was magical for our whole family and we can offer this magic to our school and community.”
Johnson said the project designs are still in early stages, but proposed “inclusive” equipment upgrades would represent a cost increase over more traditional equipment designs. He said he didn't know how much the project could cost or when it could be completed.
In Woodbury, inclusive playground Madison's Place is in the works at Bielenberg Sports Center Complex with funding from a variety of sources, including the city. That playground is expected to break ground sometime next summer, according to Yvonne Hundshamer, a spokeswoman for Woodbury nonprofit Madison Claire.
The Woodbury playground is Madison Claire's first project and is intended to be a model for others in Minnesota. The playground will be the first of its kind in the Twin Cities, according to Madison Claire's website.
Hundshamer said the Woodbury playground will be an estimated 15,000 square feet and will cost just over $1 million. A truly inclusive playground lacks woodchips, sand and rocks because those materials can make wheelchair and walker accessibility impossible, she said.
Shoreview City Council was supportive of the Turtle Lake project. The project also received two surprise donors last Monday, when Shoreview property owner Dave Kroona announced a $500 donation from both he and his attorney. Kroona has donated to Turtle Lake Elementary for other causes in the past.
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