City of Buda staff presented a report to the City Council detailing various safety issues with the aging playground equipment in City Park during budget discussions in 2025. The council will vote on project plans for the playground’s replacement and various additional park amenities at a June 16 meeting.
The overview
The park’s playground infrastructure, installed in 2020, has become a safety hazard as a result of weather-related wear, according to agenda documents. The council included a $850,000 budget for a full replacement in the fiscal year 2025-26 Capital Improvements Plan.
The project will accomplish multiple park improvement objectives, including:
- Playground replacement tailored to children and parents of all abilities
- Provide long-lasting recreational infrastructure
- Improve accessibility in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Increase safety and visibility
- Enhance adult seating and gathering areas
The details
The City Council will review three conceptual layout options for the City Park playground replacement and associated site amenities. The concepts prioritize accessibility for all users through ramps, sensory play elements and ground-level activities, according to agenda documents.
City staff placed an emphasis on shade coverage and thermal comfort to increase use during the warmer summer months. The proposed designs feature open sightlines and clearly defined paths to support overall park safety.
The first proposed option council will consider for the City Park project would cost $825,900 and includes:
- PIP surfacing throughout the playground area
- An age 2-5 playground with integrated shade structure
- An age 5-12 playground
- An all-age slide with geometric ladder
- An all-accessible, inclusive and all-age playground
- An all-age accessible merry-go-round
- Block wall and drainage additions on the hillside of the splash-pad area
- Three shade structures over the 5-12 age playground, splash pad entrance and accessible playground
The second conceptual option will cost $860,500, include a three-bay swing set and replace the age 5-12 playground with a 55-foot-long zip line. The other amenities included in the first option are also included in the second option, according to agenda documents.
The third and final option would cost $873,298 and include all the amenities of the first option, plus a stand-alone zip line. Both the second and third options would cost the city more than the project was budgeted for in the FY 2025-26 CIP.
What’s next
The City Council will provide direction to staff at a June 16 meeting. The meeting will be held at 405 E. Loop St., Building 100, Buda, and begin at 6:30 p.m.
At a May 20 meeting, the Buda Parks and Recreation Commission voted to move forward with the third option, utilizing the budgeted CIP funds to pursue the first option’s development and adding the zip line as a second phase in a future budget year.
If approved, construction on the project would begin after the park’s splash pad closes following Labor Day and take eight weeks to fully complete.
