By Megan Ma

COURTESY LOS ALTOS RECREATION DEPARTMENT New playground equipment, including designs pictured above, is being discussed for Los Altos parks.

By next winter, six Los Altos playgrounds will present new equipment for children to swing and climb on.

The replacement of outmoded equipment at playgrounds throughout the city has been a long time coming. The play structures in six city parks - some as old as 40 years - don’t meet today’s safety standards. In some cases, the city has removed the equipment, leaving little for families to enjoy.

This year, the Los Altos City Council confirmed a process to ensure that all playground equipment complies with state safety standards by 2008. With many options available - from details such as the shape of rooftops and the type of ground covering - city staff along with the Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission has confirmed designs for McKenzie, Marymeade, Heritage Oaks and Whistlestop in Hillview Park playgrounds. Construction is scheduled to begin this winter.

“It’s about time we get them done,” said Recreation Director Dave Brees.

Much of the equipment, provided by Landscape Structures Inc., will have the same look and function as that at Shoup Park on University Avenue, a project finished in 2003 after nearly seven years of planning.

Hunter-green bars and slides paired with tan-base structures meld into the overall rural atmosphere of the parks, Brees said. The goal is to have a uniform feel and equitable play value.

“We didn’t want one playground to be the crown jewel. We have tried to provide a great play opportunity to kids at every park,” he said.

Project leaders launched a fundraiser to help defray costs for Marymeade and Whistlestop playgrounds, two of the four slated for completion by early summer.

Parks and Recreation Commissioner Maria Bautista said that neighborhood parks play an integral role in making Los Altos a great place to live.

“For the first time, we are calling on Los Altans to help ensure that we maintain the charming character of their public spaces,” she said.

Councilwoman Val Carpenter, who approved the commission’s request to seek donations from the community, said it was a “great idea.” she said.

In order to secure a portion of one state grant for Marymeade, which will include a state-of-the-art climbing rock, the community must contribute $8,300. Community members wanted the civic center’s Whistlestop, or “train park,” to keep its trademark general store and old-fashioned train theme. These custom details put the design $30,000 over budget.

The cost for renovations on all playgrounds - funded through a combination of state grants and city capital improvement project funds - will total approximately $950,000. Fundraising goals for Marymeade and Whistlestop park total $38,000.

“We are hoping that neighbors and friends of each park come forward with donations, allowing us to do this right - after all, it will be another 40 years before we have this chance again,” Bautista said.

Marymeade and McKenzie parks are scheduled first on the list, with construction to begin in February. Both should be completed by late spring, Brees said. Construction for Whistlestop and Heritage Oaks playgrounds will start in April for an early summer completion. Equipment replacement for Montclaire and Grant playgrounds will follow.

During construction, the playgrounds will be closed, but the tennis courts, walkways and grass areas will remain open to the public.

To contribute, make a check payable to the “City of Los Altos” and mail or deliver it to the Recreation Department Office, Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave. Los Altos 94022. Contributors can specify Marymeade or Whistlestop, or donate undesignated funds for any park. For more information, call 947-2888.