Kids voice opinions on Kandle Park

Photo BY DAWN QUINN

GROUP EFFORT. Downing Elementary first grader Kaila Jones sits down with Curtis Hancock, project manager for Metro Parks Tacoma, to discuss design elements she thinks would make the new Kandle Park playground and pool the best at the Gonyea Boys and Girls Club on Aug. 19.

Metro Parks Tacoma held a town hall meeting and design forum on Aug. 19 about the planning of the new Kandle Park and pool at the Gonyea Boys and Girls Club. But this round kids, not adults, were voicing their opinions and describing their ideal playgrounds.

According to Laura Lenss, an associate with SHKS Architects, the group that is currently drawing up plans for the future neighborhood playground, that input from the kids was imperative. “The primary users of the park are going to be kids, so it was good for them to voice their opinions.”

Curtis Hancock, project manager for Metro Parks Tacoma (MPT), agreed with the notion. “(It makes sense) because kids are going to use it, grow up with it and use it their entire lives.”

The kids took part in the committee meeting in two groups. The first, 6-9-year-olds and later, 10-12 year olds, each received a piece of paper with parts of the playground, pool and skate park that they could cut, paste and place to create their ultimate new park experience. If that did not appeal to them, they could also draw their own plans.

A few possibilities for the pool aspect of the project were a leisure pool with a beach-like entry, a traditional lap pool, a lazy river, water slide, spray ground, surf machine and more. The skate park offered options such as a half-pipe, quarter-pipe, pyramid, handrail, vertical ramp and also allowed plenty of room for the children to use their imaginations to come up with more unique features.

Annabelle Daniel, who will soon be going into the first grade, said that she most wanted a regular lap pool and a water park. Kaila Jones, also a first grader from Downing Elementary School, thought that a water slide, lazy river and umbrellas would be the best combination.

Miranda Dillard, who will be entering the third grade this year at De Long Elementary School, was a little more elaborate in her visions for Kandle Park. “I’m wanting a thrilling park, kind of like an amusement park with a surfing machine thing with a lot of cool water slides that go straight down,” she stated enthusiastically. When asked if she would still come to the park if her requests did not come about, her response was “Totally!”

A few young skaters were also on hand during the early elementary student park discussion session. Third-grader Devyn Reynolds had a few distinct ideas of what he wants in the new skate park. “I definitely want a skate park. One of my favorite things to do is skate. Right now I only skate in my garage…I also want a lazy river and a spray ground, kind of like Soak City in California,” he said.

The kids that participated in the information session were students who are members of the Gonyea Boys and Girls Club, and the idea to have them voice their opinions was that of Gene Anderson, the club’s director.

The drawings and pasted together ideas for the new Kandle Park, pool and skate park are being read and considered now by both MPT and SHKS Architects. According to Hancock, the kids’ ideas will be taken seriously. “(We’re going to) look them over,” he stated. “We’ve seen some threads of pretty good ideas, so like everything else, we will go in, and see if there is a consensus on an idea. Maybe one off-the-wall idea will spark an idea for something else. We aren’t sure how yet, but those kids will be recognized if their idea is put into practice.”

The unique meeting provided a way for kids to get specific on how they want the sites to look and be composed, which is a switch from the general topics that have been covered at previous steering committees composed of mostly adults. During the next public meeting on Kandle Park, staff from MPT and SHKS Architects will go into more specific details on what the pool may look like.

Both parties agreed that this was a great experiment and experience for everyone. “It was fun, and I really enjoy doing those types of things,” Hancock said.

The next meeting for the public and neighbors involved with the Kandle Park and pool bond project will take place on Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. at Downing Elementary, located at 2502 N. Orchard St. For more information or to review the children’s plans for the park, visit http://www.metroparkstacoma.org/kandle.

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