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BACKGROUND In late 2017, residents with special needs family members came to the City and identified the need for an all -abilities playground in Pleasanton. In February 2019, these same residents attended the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to recommend an all -abilities playground as a priority for the 2019-2021 budget cycle. Based upon this input, the all -abilities playground was unanimously recommended as the Parks and Recreation Commission's number one priority for the 2019-2021 budget cycle. In April 2019, the City Council adopted the all -abilities playground as a priority Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project. Following the decision by City Council, the Recreation, Parks, and Landscape Architecture Divisions utilized the summer to research and visit various all -abilities playgrounds throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. This research included a meeting with the landscape architect in Palo Alto that worked on the Magical Bridge playground; and meeting with staff members to review the Matteo's Dream playground in Concord, the Athan Downs playground in San Ramon, the May Nissen Park in Livermore, the Heather Farms playground in Walnut Creek and the all -abilities playground conceptual designs for the City of Dublin. Staff also spoke with several people and groups that specialize in special needs playground design, including the Magical Bridge Foundation and local design firms that specialize in all -abilities playgrounds. Utilizing the information collected from the site visits and research, staff compiled a checklist of site attributes necessary for a successful all -abilities playground. With these attributes in mind, staff researched and visited a variety of locations within Pleasanton to determine which City properties checked the boxes on the list and could accommodate an all -abilities playground. DISCUSSION During the research process, the following attributes were determined to be desirable for the success of an all -abilities playground: • Ample parking • Varied grades • Restrooms • Shade • ADA access • Centrally located in town • Easy access to transportation/schools • Additional park amenities • Safe environment • Sufficient play area; and • No conflicting uses. All -ability playgrounds typically range in size from 1 to 2 acres. With desirable site attributes and size in mind, staff reviewed the following locations within Pleasanton as potential all -ability playground locations.- 0 ocations: • Val Vista Community Park Page 2 of 5