Park Facilities Improvement Plan

I think the policy should include a provision to donate equipment that can be re-used. Although there is some normal wear and tear on 30-year old playground equipment, most of the equipment in Claremont is in great condition and can be re-used. The equipment should not go to the land fill or to scrap metal recycling if it can be re-used. It should be preferrable that Claremont donates used playground equipment for re-use in other locations. There can be provisions in the RFP/contract that require that playground vendors facilitate the disassembly and shipment for donations.

Please consider prioritizing the dirt parking area for Padua Park. These fields, like La Puerta are used by Claremont residents, but also represent Claremont when residents of surrounding areas participate in sporting events at our parks. The dirt parking lot is becoming severely rutted and is getting difficult to navigate following various rain storms. This parking is needed for youth sports and needs to be maintained (preferably with pavement) to support different vehicles and for individuals with limited mobility. Additionally, the gopher population and resulting holes at Padua and La Puerta are significant hazards and may result in serious injury to athletes and park visitors using these parks. Please resolve this and repair the fields.

I noted that the replacement timeline for the playground at Jaeger park was well into the future, which would mean that the equipment would be 30 years old before it is replaced. It is already very dated and this timeline seems highly unrealistic if we want kids actually playing on the equipment.

I'd like to underscore the need for lighting at Padua park and also advocate for bathroom updates in Memorial Park - my kids won't use the bathroom there because it is "scary," and I can't really disagree.

The other huge issue that doesn't seem to be addressed here is aging equipment - goals, nets - at Padua, as well as extremely poor field maintenance on the soccer fields which poses real threats to physical safety. I've lost count of how many times my kid has rolled an ankle or fallen on a rock during AYSO games.
I'm glad to see this work happening and think that additional budget would help address many of these concerns and allow for more priority projects to happen in a more timely manner.

The softball facilities are in need of lights for night games! Many of our girls walk, ride to La Puerta (the main softball facility) but we have no lights so practice times are limited to daylight hours. There are already light poles for soccer, but none of them face the softball fields.

Higginbotham Park is in serious need of better safety-approved climbing equipment. The rocks are dangerous for most little children and their grandmothers. It’s difficult to see my grandson trying to climb up, and with me not able to help or protect him. The coil horses are pathetic, old and unsafe. The swings are high enough to not be accessible to grandmothers trying to reach up and put a toddler in the seat. (I would imagine the city is trying to prevent teens from using the swings, but really?). This playground needs some major and more colorful, child/toddler friendly climbing structures. The heavy duty metal train is no substitute for this, either. Make Higginbotham safer and more attractive please.