The Buellton City Council on Monday approved plans to transform Oak Park into a fully ADA-compliant space and pursue grant funding for new equipment.
During the meeting, the council directed staff to move forward with improvements to the Oak Park playground, the longest-standing one in the city, in order to make it more accessible. The staff is preparing a vendor grant application, and finalizing equipment preferences for anticipated construction next summer.
Public Works Director Rose Hess gave a presentation to replace the worn playground equipment with an inclusive design, including surfacing that would be a better fit for wheelchair use, improved swings and a sensory regulation zone.
The plan for the playground, located at 401 Sycamore Drive, aims to replace the existing wood chips, dirt and decomposed granite, with options such as rubberized surfacing or tiles, in order to make the entire park wheelchair accessible.
“We wouldn’t have to build a separate ramp [for wheelchair users] to get down into the picnic area. Everything would be accessible through the sidewalks that’s currently going throughout the park,” Hess said. “You just roll on in there and enjoy the picnic areas with the families.”
According to Hess, the community made it clear that they didn’t want the slides to be removed in the renovation. To accommodate the request, the updated design will keep slides while adding adaptive swings for larger bodies and a wheelchair-accessible spinning feature.
The plan also includes a designated sensory regulation zone, where overwhelmed children can decompress, inspired by the “dino egg” shelter pods at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
“If a child is dysregulated, they could move to a location in the park that would allow them to come back for themselves,” Hess said.
Beyond upgrades to the playset, the staff plans to replace rusting picnic tables, benches and barbecues, along with leveling the picnic areas with the same rubberized surface.
Vice Mayor Carla Mead highlighted feedback from parents, who requested fencing around the playground to keep children from wandering off.
“[Parents] want to make sure their kids are safe. A mom said to me, ‘It would be so nice if I could just go to the park and sit on the bench and talk to my friend and know my child cannot leave a certain area,’” Mead said. “I don’t know how fencing looks around a park like that, but that is a concern that I know and it was in the parental comments as well.”
The playground equipment is estimated to cost between $180,000 and $300,000. To help cover the expenses, the city is applying for a first-come, first-serve vendor grant from a nationwide $20 million pool due in November, with hopes of securing $300,000, before choosing a specific vendor.
The three vendors who have submitted preliminary concept designs for the renovated playground include Miracle Playgrounds, Kompan and Great Western Recreation.
The council directed staff to make progress on the park improvements in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. Residents will be able to share feedback on the Oak Park project at an upcoming Fall Fest booth, as well as at a vendor open house in November.
