Join the City of Huntington Beach, Rotary Club of Huntington Beach and the Kiwanis Club of Huntington Beach on Sunday, December 3 at 1pm at 9th and PCH for the official groundbreaking of the city’s first ever All Inclusive Beach Playground.
The idea of an accessible beach playground began in 2007. At that time, the Community Services Commission as well as City Council approved the concept and location for the playground with understanding that the project would begin once funding became available.
Through a community effort, the project re-gained traction and was placed on the Capital Improvement Project list for fiscal year 2015/16. Staff then took the project through a Coastal Development Permit process and received entitlement approval in 2016. Although the City had already received a $40K donation from an individual community member, as well as a $5K recycling grant, funding for the project was lacking. The Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs of Huntington Beach championed the project and garnered the support of their members to come up with cash needed to fund the project. Rotary Club of Huntington Beach generously donated $50K and the Kiwanis Club of Huntington Beach was able to raise $25K toward the project. Those donations, together with City Park Funds closed the gap!
The playground will be accessed from existing asphalt pathways and the surfacing of the play area will be made with ADA approved rubberized surface to provide wheelchair access. Dave Bang & Associates designed the playground to accommodate the needs of people with all abilities. It exceeds the total number of accessible areas and ground elements to meet all inclusive playground standards, and provides a great opportunity for integrated play.