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Playground Evaluation Matrix <br />Safety Condition Age ADA • Usage Type Trails / Other <br />SECTION 4. PUBLIC INPUT AND DEMONSTRATED NEED. <br />The evaluation matrix may not be the sole determinant of the order in which playgrounds are <br />replaced. Input by the community with respect to neighborhood parks is crucial to ensure that <br />residents are well served by their city. A playground scoring higher than another does not necessarily <br />mean that it will be replaced first, particularly if public input demonstrates significant justification <br />for another park's playground to be replaced sooner. <br />Another tool for assessing the need for playground replacement is actual neighborhood <br />demographics. In some cases, school district data may be obtained that provide the numbers and <br />ages of children within a logical distance of the park under consideration (likely the same 1,500' <br />foot radius). This may reveal very young children that will be coming into that 6+ age where <br />playgrounds are important features of their lives. In other instances it may be found that the <br />population are older residents, and less likely to have children in the household regularly. In 2012, <br />the City installed a game trail camera to monitor the numbers, frequency and real-time use of a <br />playground. This was found to be an effective way to support retaining this particular play area. <br />SECTION 5. ALTERNATIVES TO PLAY STRUCTURE COMPONANTS. <br />In instances where the public may not support the elimination of a playground per se, but full or <br />partial replacement is not feasible, other actions can be taken to preserve space for children to engage <br />in outdoor recreation without entirely new play structure components. Alternative play spaces <br />however are best considered with appropriate public input. Residents may embrace for example, <br />`nature based' play areas made with trees, branches, boulders etc. which may be less expensive to <br />install and maintain than traditional playground equipment. Pearson Park has elements like these, <br />which are proven to be popular. <br />5 <br />