Add a New Playground at Purple Heart Park - Revise Phase 3 of “Tucson Delivers: Parks + Connections”

► The old playground was popular with children, saw heavy use, and contained activities such as stairs, multiple slides, and climbing opportunities. The replacement for the old playground, which has already been installed to the south, does not contain comparable activities and opportunities for child growth and skills development. The new playground area for ages 2-5 has a small slide, a few stairs, and climbing suitable for smaller children. The new playground area for ages 5-12 has more intricate, complicated climbing opportunities, no slides, and nowhere to walk or sit up high.

► A comparable playground for ages 5-12 with climbing, stairs, and slides is located approximately 275 yards away, near the skate park. With nearly 3 football fields of distance [corrected from "nearly a football field of distance"] between these playground areas, caregivers are unable to supervise both the ages 2-5 area and the comparable 5-12 area at the same time. Additionally, the proximity to the skate park attracts ages 13+ to the structure.

► We would like the opportunity to provide input for the consideration of adding a 4th playground to Purple Heart Park, in lieu of the new basketball court and parking lot expansion planned for Tucson Delivers: Parks + Connections Phase 3.

► For petition signers, supporting documents can be found in the "Updates" section below:
• Tucson Delivers: Parks + Connections projects for Purple Heart Park
• Undated Purple Heart Park master plan
• Email communication with Ward 4 Council Office regarding petition procedures
• Tucson Delivers Project Changes – Guidelines adopted by the 2018 Parks + Connections Bond Oversight Commission on November 9, 2020

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► The below information and background was provided to me on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 by the City of Tucson Ward 4 Council Office and Parks and Recreation Department. I have made minor edits for clarity.

• In 2014/2015, the Rita Ranch Neighborhood Parks Committee had several public meetings in Purple Heart Park to discuss the existing old playground. At that time, there was significant vandalism to the playground, and the city needed to replace it. In addition to replacing the new playground, the residents expressed the need for additional parking for that park. The residential committee worked with Parks and Recreation and architects to design two new playgrounds, one for children under 5 years old and one for children over 5 years of age. The residential committee selected the equipment and the color scheme, and it was approved in 2015. The new playgrounds were built a bit further south into the park to accommodate a future new parking lot expansion listed on the park’s master plan.

• At that time, the residents asked if the city could safely salvage any parts of the old playground and leave it there until it was deemed unsafe or until the city had the funding for the new parking lot. The city was able to salvage the piece that you see today. Unfortunately, the time has come to remove the playground after it did not pass an inspection by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector. Due to the age of the structure, items not in compliance are no longer available to purchase for replacement.

• In November 2018, the City of Tucson voters approved Proposition 407, a $225 million bond package to improve City parks, amenities and connections. Parks + Connections improvements will occur in three phases over ten years, 2019-2028. A bond oversight commission oversees the funding and monitors the progress of projects. Projects in each park were selected from an extensive public outreach process.

• The City of Tucson voters voted to allocate $2,124,987 into Purple Heart Park, including funding the parking lot expansion that will be located where the old playground currently resides and will be built in Phase 3 of the project (2026-2028). In addition to the new parking lot and renovations to the existing lots, Phase 3 also includes a new basketball court, renovating existing walking paths, a new ramada, and renovating the skate park and fencing.

• Submission of this petition to the Ward 4 Council Member will ensure the Parks and Recreation team knows to begin the official public process prior to Phase 3 projects beginning in 2026-2028. This will also ensure the community's desires are current and the discussion is more timely to the actual construction. After the public process, Parks and Recreation staff will submit the report to the Parks + Connections Bond Oversight Commission, who will review the change (per the Commission’s pre-established guidelines) and provide a final decision.