SUPPLEMENTAL INFO ITEM 8A - Laserfiche WebLink

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Hi Kimbra . Thanks for sharing your email with the CRPD Board and 1. I haven't seen the new playground yet and I'll swing by. The Kimber playground as well as 2 others were approved at noticed public meeting of the Conejo Recreation and Park District Board of Directors on July 18, 2019. I am glad you like the new play structure. The material under the playground is not actually landscape mulch. The "EWF" (Engineered Wood Fiber) surfacing is the safest play surfacing available. It is specifically engineered for playgrounds to exceed the safety and accessibility requirements for the fall zones below play equipment. Since it meets the accessibility guidelines for wheel chairs it enables access to the entire play area rather than being limited to the rubberized surfacing in older playgrounds. The wood material is tumbled to prevent splinters and has a lower replacement cost than sand or rubberized surfacing. The EWF has become the new District standard and at least the last 12 playground upgrades have all had the EWF surface. As for the Off Leash Areas. We have reached an impasse with the COLA in terms of the surfacing. The COLA group worked with us to put OLAs into these planned inactive, unfenced, turf -reduction areas. Now that the grass has completely died away, the COLAs have asked us to revisit our idea to put the OLAs into the turf reduction areas. We know there are many other public agencies that operate dog parks or otr-ieasn areas without grass surfacing.. The surface they use is typically decomposed granite or mulch/wood chips .... although I have also seen natural earth surfaces like our OLAs. Our OLAs were specifically designed to be in the areas of the parks where the water was to be turned off and the area covered in mulch. We have met with the COLA representatives and communicated that If the COLAs wants to add grass (and therefore water) to a location where the District intentionally removed water, than CRPD needs the COLAs to work with us on how that would be financed and maintained over the long- haul - - - while staying true to CRPD's turf reduction goals. have found the OLAs are pretty good during the Winter and Spring with some moisture in the ground and tend to get dry and dusty in late Summer and Fall. These fenced OLAs may be considered a seasonal amenity for those who wish to avoid the dust. Use them in Winter and Spring and avoid them in the Summer and Fall. Another possibility, of course, is to simply remove the OLA fencing and concede the non -watered surfacing idea we all thought would work is just not working. I am copying the CRPD Board on this reply. Thanks again for reaching out. Sincerely, Jim Friedl General Manager Conejo Recreation & Park District 403 W Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 Phone: 805-381-1239 1 Fax: 805-777-7391 3 1 P