News

Nov 08, 2024

Portsmouth plans safer, more accessible South Mill Pond Playground

PORTSMOUTH — City consultants shared some early concepts of what is being planned for the new South Mill Pond playground project. The consultants, SLT International Corporation, along with city staff,

PORTSMOUTH — City consultants shared some early concepts of what is being planned for the new South Mill Pond playground project.

The consultants, SLT International Corporation, along with city staff, listed some early ideas for the project to create a new playground at the popular downtown location, during a recent meeting at City Hall.

Carly Picard, a senior landscape architect with SLT International, stressed the importance to the city of making the new South Mill Playground “universally accessible.”

“So it’s a design that works for everyone in every scenario,” she said during the recent City Hall meeting.

“An example of that would be motion-activated doors, so anybody can use it,” she added.

She stated people responding to a city survey about the project expressed support for the idea of offering some kind of water feature, like a “splash park.”

Residents also “really loved the idea of using natural materials and resilient design,” Picard said, along with offering a new bathroom and water fountains.

They also, she said, noted the importance of having “seating for caregivers,” as well as accessible pathways and lighting.

Picard explained that “because we do have a little slope” at the playground site, another concept that’s being considered for the new playground is “embankment slides” where designers are “using the hill to our advantage.”

Next steps in the process include combining what the consultants heard from residents and returning with “a preferred concept plan,” Picard said.

She added there could be “phased construction depending on the final design and budget,” for the project.

In response to a question, Picard said there will be “a separation of (playground) equipment” area between children “ages two to five and then five to 12,” as part of the preliminary plan.

“There will be some equipment that every age can use, like the merry-go-rounds, so we put that stuff sort of in the middle,” she said. “We also want to contain the smaller children …so caregivers can keep an eye on them a little bit easier.”

She acknowledged that the type of surface proposed for the new park “is very, very important.”

The surface proposed for the new park “will a rubber-type surface,” which Picard said will either be “a poured-in place rubber or rubber tiles.”

“It’s nice and safe for fall attenuation, so no kids are going to break their head open or hopefully bones,” she said. “We might use that in conjunction with the wood chips that are out there right now.”

The combination of the two, she said, would work for “anybody that has a mobility device or even … crutches,” because “they have a nice smooth walkway always and a pathway to get to these elements.”

City Councilor Kate Cook, who attended the meeting with other residents, said as the parent of an autistic child,” she has been concerned with fencing when using the South Mill Playground.

“My biggest concern was always the roadway, and there was no place to sit to put myself between my child, the playground equipment, the roadway and the parking lot,” Cook said. “You have to think about different developmental needs that children have, and different perceptions of roadways and cars, and the importance of making sure you do have contained space, and seating space where parents can appropriately monitor their kids without appearing to be hovering.”

Peter Rice, Portsmouth’s director of public works, said staff would return in the future with a more updated plan for the project.

Corin Hallowell, the city’s Parks and Greenery Foreman, said the efforts on the new park are “driven by a need to update the aging current playground, and the community’s need to create a universally accessible playground.”

“The South Mill playground is sort of the perfect space for this,” he said.

“Over the past several months city staff has been working with SLR International to develop an outline for a universally accessible playground, which looks at the interconnectedness between the whole South Mill park complex and the city as a whole,” he said during the meeting to discuss the project.

The goal of the project, which is part of the city’s Capital Improvement Plan “is to replace the existing South Mill playground with a new, universal design, ADA-compliant, age-friendly, inclusive playground,” according to the new playground project’s webpage.

“Along with the playground overhaul, the project includes the addition of ADA-compliant, family-friendly restroom facilities instead of the port-a-potties, and also includes an upgraded parking lot,” according to the project page. “The goal is to convert South Mill Pond Playground into the most utilized, dynamic, barrier-free destination playground for Portsmouth and its visitors and the gold standard for Universally Accessible and Inclusive playgrounds.”

The playground is part of the Recreation Department's South Mill Pond Recreation Complex, that also features pickleball, basketball and tennis courts, as well as Leary Field and the dog park.