Las Piedras: Council votes to replace
playground destroyed by arsonist
August 21, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Las Piedras Park will finally be a playground again after the City Council approved a $211,145 contract to restore and improve the facility destroyed by an arsonist in March 2014.
The council gave the go-ahead at the August 17 meeting after Councilwoman Jenny Crosswhite, noting the high interest in the issue, asked that the proposed contract be pulled from the Consent Calendar—those items usually considered routine—for discussion.
The loss of the playground said Crosswhite has been of concern to area residents and she asked Interim Public Works Director Brian Yanez about the schedule to replace the facility at the park located on North 13th Street.
Upon council approval Yanez said it would take an additional three to four weeks to finalize the documentation for the project.
“Hopefully, we’ll start early October,” and the construction schedule would be 45 days.
Yanez noted that the playground would feature new play equipment as well as “lots of extra features...”
Rubberized mulch will be replaced with ground material that Yanez said would be ADA compliant.
Yanez’s report noted that the cost of the project would be covered by the insurance payment, an agreement reached in July 2014.
Since that time the project went through the design process as well as review by the Santa Paula Recreation Commission.
Five companies submitted bids that ranged up to $296,379; the lowest bidder of $161,482 was rejected due to not meeting bid requirements.
The new playground will feature two distinct areas for younger and older children; at a previous meeting the council also approved a learning trail that encourages educational interaction between adults and children.
R.E. Schultz Construction was the winning bidder on the project.
At the time of the fire there was an investigation launched by police and fire investigators but the arsonist was never identified.
