Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Since You Asked: Canned corn OK for fishing, not for chumming ... Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... UPDATED: Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... Since You Asked: Canned corn OK for fishing, not for chumming ... Last hours of armed standoff play out online for listeners ... UPDATED: Oregon Senate approves bill to increase minimum wage ... Medford park would showcase 'natural' playground Anew city park with a "natural" playground could take shape at the intersection of East McAndrews Road and Chablis Terrace in east Medford as early as this summer, parks and recreation officials say. By Paris Achen MailTribune.com By Paris Achen Posted Jan. 6, 2011 @ 12:01 am Updated Jan 6, 2011 at 2:45 AM By Paris Achen Posted Jan. 6, 2011 @ 12:01 am Updated Jan 6, 2011 at 2:45 AM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Anew city park with a "natural" playground could take shape at the intersection of East McAndrews Road and Chablis Terrace in east Medford as early as this summer, parks and recreation officials say. The 14-acre Oregon Hills Park on city land hugged by East McAndrews, Chablis and Tamarack Drive is already home to native oak trees with broad canopies as well as two converging tributaries of Lazy Creek. A design approved by the Parks Commission would transform the property into a natural wonderland for children and a recreation magnet for nearby residents who don't have a neighborhood park, said Brian Sjothun, city parks and recreation director. A natural playground — a trend that incorporates elements such as sand and water to inspire play rather than traditional playground equipment — is part of the design. "It's not like the playgrounds in any of the parks now," Sjothun said. "It's not something you can go out and buy. There are natural areas with a little running water through sand so that kids can build sand castles. It's designed to let kids get dirty and use their imaginations versus structured play (in a traditional playground)." A water play area in the playground will include an old-fashioned hand crank which children can use to pump water up into a bucket. Then, the bucket dumps the water on the ground. There also will be a climbing sculpture, the design of which is yet to be determined, Sjothun said. Natural playgrounds are the latest trend in sustainable design, including more native grass areas that don't need irrigation, which means less maintenance for the city, Sjothun said. In addition, a 10-by-10 trestle, called the Shady Oak Discovery Platform, will give people in wheelchairs and walkers a close-up view of the park's native oak trees. Other plans for the park include a trail system, exercise stations, picnic shelters, rest rooms, a parking area and possibly a basketball or volleyball court. Medford Public Works will build two storm-water detention ponds holding 30-acre feet of water on the south end of the park. The ponds will help slow the flow of water to Bear Creek in the event of a 100-year flood, defined as four inches of rain in a 24-hour period for that area. The city already has $600,000 to build the nearly $1 million park and hopes to win a local government grant in the amount of $200,000 to $300,000 from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to build the natural playground portion of the park. The grant will be awarded in mid-July. "If we don't get the grant, we will still move forward with the project," Sjothun said. In February or March, parks and recreation will apply for a conditional use permit to build the park, Sjothun said. Construction could begin in late summer of this year, he said. The park was designed through public input, park employees' efforts and landscape architectural firm LandCurrent of Eugene. The city maintains a total of 2,391 acres of parks, natural areas and greenways for its population of nearly 80,000. Reach reporter Paris Achen at 541-776-4459 or e-mail [email protected]. By Paris Achen MailTribune.com By Paris Achen Posted Jan. 6, 2011 @ 12:01 am Updated Jan 6, 2011 at 2:45 AM » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501