Lincoln City Parks & Recreation (LCP&R) is excited to announce a public input process for the new Sandcastle Playground to be built in Regatta Park. This launches the development planning (and conceptual design!) of a new ADA compliant playground in Regatta Park.

LCP&R held a public Open House on Sat, May 25^th at the current Sandcastle Playground location in Regatta Park, 2700 NE 14^th St in Lincoln City. Many people came to the event, sharing their memories and their wants and needs for the new playground. In attendance were Rep. David Gomberg, Mayor Susan Wahlke, City Councilor Mitch Parsons, the LC Parks & Recreation Board, and many Parks & Recreation staff. Tours were given of the Sandcastle, to highlight the areas that were beyond repair, with vision boards presented, asking for public input on design.

In 1992, the current Sandcastle Playground was built with community assistance and volunteers, quickly becoming the most popular park attraction within Lincoln City, and is still extremely popular today, after 32 years. Park patrons love the whimsical sandcastle design, which is nestled next to a preserved open space, overlooking Devils Lake.

In 2016, an ADA play area next to the Sandcastle was built. This play area utilizes an ADA-compliant rubber play surface, including rubber mulch from recycled tires and synthetic turf. The new Sandcastle Playground is also planned to have an ADA rubberized and synthetic surface, which will make both play areas ADA-accessible.

In preparation for further Sandcastle repair, LCP&R contracted an assessment of the playground, which found that while this attraction has been very well cared for, this much-loved playground has now served its time well and must be replaced after 32 years of use. The original materials used in the playground were pressure treated wood, which were found to be 10+ years beyond its intended life span. With continued drainage and material issues, and needs for improved ADA access, LCP&R is focusing on replacing this playground as a whole with a new one, pending important public input.

Jeanne Sprague, LCP&R Director, comments on the need for public input:

“Everyone loves the Sandcastle Playground, especially its design. It was built by our community volunteers in 1992, and generations of families have played there. As we move forward with the Sandcastle replacement project, we want the public to meet our playground design team, we want to hear what they love about the existing Sandcastle Playground and what types of play elements they would like to see in the new playground, and which overall theme they prefer.”

Community engagement is a vital part of the design process for the new Sandcastle Playground. At the Open House on 5/25, the design-build team, led by K&E Excavating, DOWL, and Understory Landscape Architecture, along with Parks & Recreation staff and Advisory Board, gathered much feedback from the public. There is also an option for an online survey for public, which is available until Fri, June 7.

LCP&R is planning for the new Sandcastle playground construction to occur in 2025. Sprague says, “Our focus right now is public input on their beloved Sandcastle playground. Once we hear what our community wants, we’ll then move forward with final design and construction. We invite all to be involved with the design!”

Stay tuned for continued updates on the Sandcastle Playground development.