New approach, life for east Modesto playground

Several dozen families turned out Saturday to celebrate the reopening of the Lakewood Park playground in east Modesto after volunteers from the neighborhood worked with the city to replace worn-out equipment.

The city bought the parts for roughly $15,000 and the volunteers did the work under the supervision of the city. The project is expected to extend the life of the 29-year-old playground by at least five years.

The project represents a shift in how Modesto works with its neighborhoods, from one in which it took on the role of the expert with the answers to a more collaborative relationship. But the change came with growing pains for the city.

Parks officials met with Lakewood Park-area residents in June to tell them their playground was nearing the end of its life and would need to be replaced at some point. They said the playground’s steel posts were rusting on the inside. Officials had more bad news: A new playground could cost as much as $150,000, and the city did not have that kind of money.

Officials told residents about Modesto’s Park Partners Program, in which residents typically raise half of the money for a project, and the city comes up with the rest.

Residents were taken aback at the prospect of raising that kind of money and asked whether there were less costly options for the playground. Officials essentially told them no, according to Larry Tolby, one of the residents who decided after the meeting to form a committee to look into other solutions for the playground.

Tolby found that spare parts were available through Santa Rosa-based Ross Recreation Equipment. Ross officials inspected the playground and came up with a list of what needed to be replaced. Tolby and the other residents put together a proposal to repair the playground and met with city officials.

Tolby said the proposal did not gain traction at City Hall until they enlisted the help of Councilman Bill Zoslocki – whose district includes the Lakewood Park neighborhood – and City Manager Jim Holgersson.

“With Jim and Bill, the (city’s attitude) changed from more or less telling us what is going to happen to let’s find out what we can do together to make it happen,” Tolby said.

The city estimated the cost of replacement parts and components – including platforms, panels, a tire swing and slide – at $15,000 to $20,000. Zoslocki said the steel posts have been inspected and are in good shape, despite some rust at their tops. Ross sells replacement posts. The city estimates the repairs will extend the playground’s life five to seven years.

Ross sales representative Alex Hailey said more and more cities are revamping their older playgrounds rather than putting in new ones because of budget constraints. She conservatively estimates the repairs will give the Modesto playground an additional five to 10 years. A new playground can last 25 or more years.

The playground was closed last week while neighborhood volunteers, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, city workers and others made the repairs, from replacing the worn-out components to giving the playground a new coat of paint.

Saturday’s celebration included a barbecue by the Modesto Police Officers Association and speeches by Tolby and Zoslocki. Tolby also recognized the other committee members: John Brasil, Christine Brereton, Darin Jesberg, Buz Rasmussen, Bob Taylor and Alex Westmoreland.

Zoslocki said the partnership with Lakewood Park-area residents is a new way of doing business for the city and one he would like to see replicated.

“This is the proof of why it’s better to engage the neighborhood and create a cooperative exchange so it’s not just run by the government,” he said before Saturday’s celebration. “This whole goal – for both sides – was to keep the playground active. Now we can plan for the longer-term replacement. This is a new way of doing government, that the community is engaged in the solutions and is part of the solution.”

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 7:02 PM with the headline "New approach, life for east Modesto playground."