A bit of “Toontown” is headed to Santa Barbara.
The city’s Architectural Board of Review on Monday got a look at the latest plan for the all-abilities play structure headed to Dwight Murphy Field, 550 Ninos Drive, across the street from the beach in Santa Barbara.
The overall plan for the park includes a regulation-size soccer field, a youth baseball field, an outdoor fitness area, new sidewalks around the park, new restrooms, lighting, and an all-abilities playground, in memory of Gwendolyn Strong, who was born with a disease called spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA.
Her parents, Bill and Victoria Strong, started a foundation after she was born to reach out to other families of children with SMA, and to help fund research for a cure.
Gwendolyn died at age 7 in 2015.
The focal point of the playground includes a “magical tree house” reminiscent of Disney’s Toontown.
“We want to make it fun,” said Elijah Pearce, an architect with RRM Design Group. “This is not a building. This is a playhouse. This is a play structure.”
Pearce explained the design, which includes access through a curved ramp and through the middle.
“There’s a netting tunnel up through the center,” Pearce said. “The idea is that different abilities and different age group can all access it in different ways.”
Architectural board member Lauren Anderson said she had concerns that the building was not whimsical enough, and that it looked too much like a building.
“It still appears to be more like a house instead of a play tree house,” Anderson said.
She suggested bringing more of the “storybook quirkiness” into the roof, or cupola.
“It just kind of looks disjointed at the moment,” Anderson said.
Board member David Black said he liked the design.
“I couldn’t help looking at those windows on that structure and think of Toontown, but I assume that is your intent,” Black said. “It’s very magical, whimsical.”
Board chair Kevin Moore said the current design is an improvement from previous versions.
He suggested more greenery in the trees to offset the look of the house and shield the ramp.
The city and the architect were there for an “in-progress review,” so there was not a vote. The designers will take the feedback from the board members and tweak the design and return again for support.
Victoria Strong, executive director of the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, said a team of experts has been consulted on the design for the playground, and that every feature plays a purpose. She said the colors, pathways and textures all serve a specific purpose.
“The magical tree was designed to be usable to as many people as possible,” Strong said. “It provides equitable use, flexibility in use, and intuitive navigation to a diverse range of abilities and needs.”
She said her organization has raised $6 million to help fund the project.
“Santa Barbara wants Gwendolyn’s playground to become a reality as soon as possible,” she added.