SILVERDALE — The play equipment at Silverdale Waterfront Park where children scrambled over and bounced around for 25 years finally succumbed to the heavy use and harsh weather that blows in saltwater from Dyes Inlet bordering the park.
The Kitsap County Parks Department has a $178,000 playground makeover underway and a ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m., Saturday, March 26. Commissioner Ed Wolfe invites children from all over Central Kitsap and beyond to join the county in celebrating the new equipment.
“As one of our area’s most popular outdoor parks, we wanted to re-invest to make it, once again, an outstanding, long-lasting family playground. It’s a beautiful asset for Silverdale. The new structures are safe and designed to withstand new generations of adventurous kids,” Wolfe said.
The old playground equipment was expected to last 15 years but remained in use for a decade longer. Many of the metal support poles were rusted and cracked. The spring-rider toys, meant for toddlers, were broken many times over the years and a teeter-totter that was beyond repair was recently removed. The playground is the centerpiece of the 2.3-acre park, located at 3337 NW Byron St., which also features a saltwater beach, restrooms, gazebo and picnic shelter.
The parks department conducted research and interviewed families who visited the park and found new playground equipment that would best match the area for multiple ages and abilities, whether it was a single child or a whole classroom playing. The new equipment also fits the existing play surface, and includes a Kompan Fantasy Ship for ages 2-8 years, a climbing dome for older kids and an individual “spinner.”
“We were looking for durable and exciting equipment that offers age-appropriate physical challenges at many levels and a lot of exploratory fun,” said Steven Starlund, parks planner.
“We wanted aesthetic designs and colors to fit the seashore and nautical setting. Research led us to find replacement equipment which offered children choices to play independently, or socialize and be free to invent their own style of play.”
Other park improvements are planned for the near future. As funding becomes available, a second phase will include new swing sets, picnic tables and park benches. Shade trees, a colorful border of perennial flowering plants and small shrubs will be planted, providing year-round beauty and improving the overall ecological nature of the seaside park.
“I see the updating and improving of our county parks as an investment in the health and well-being of families,” said Kitsap County Parks Director Jim Dunwiddie. “Studies show that outdoor play enhances kids’ physical abilities and socialization. What could be better?”
For more information on Kitsap County Parks, visit www.kitsapgov.com/parks or call 360-337-5350.
