Photo by Kate Morris
Photo by Kate Morris
Photo by Kate Morris
The grand opening for the redesigned Creative Playscape in San Gabriel Park was July 2, drawing more than 100 children and adults.
Crowds gathered outside of the playscape at 1003 N. Austin Ave. for an opportunity to tour the completed play area for the first timewhat they got was a walk through history.
The primary result from the public input process was a creative-themed play environment that pays tribute to the past, recognizes the progression of and celebrates the continued growth of Georgetown for the next generation, Mayor Dale Ross said.
Directly inside of the arched entryway guests saw the first bit of historya teepee that sits near a boulder, meant to represent Georgetown before it was settled. After that hay bales and wagon wheels are featured to represent the early farm settlers.
In the middle is large play area with panels that look like buildings in the Square. The walkways are marked with street names that can be found around the city.
Finally, to the right of the entry is a metal play area, which represents the millennium.
We need to know where weve been, where we are and where were going and I think thats representative of what were doing today, Ross said.
Planning for the playscape began in spring 2013.
The original play area, which was built in 1993, was was designed to be accessible to children of all abilities; however, standards for accessibility have changed in the last 20 years.
In 2010 the American with Disabilities Act was amended to include more stringent standards for access to public recreation facilities, including playground equipment.
The playscape had also fallen below the Texas Health and Safety Code standards because of elements such as stair designs, width of passageways, materials and number of accessible features, according to an overview of the project.
The new structure caters to children of all abilities, said Keith Hutchinson, city of Georgetown public communications manager, adding that there are two fully-accessible swings for children with special needs.
The old structure was taken down in fall of 2013, but portions were reused and incorporated into the new design,Hutchinson said.
A large cutout of the old structure that is decorated in wooden sculptured panels was placed under pecan trees, and the original artwork in the playscape was reproduced on panels made of a laminate material that will help preserve the art.
