Trip hazards prompt Belvedere to flatten six mounds at playground

Rubber mounds rise from the playground surface at Belvedere Community Park on Aug. 27. The city plans to remove the six tan-colored mounds that officials say pose tripping hazards because they blend into the surrounding surface and tanbark, making them difficult for children and families to see. (Tyler Callister / The Ark)

Belvedere will remove six rubber mounds from Community Park’s playground after city officials determined they pose tripping hazards to children and families using the facility.

The city plans to flatten the tan-colored mounds at the edge of the playground’s tanbark area and blend them into the surrounding rubberized surface. Associate Engineer Chris Barry told the Parks, Open Spaces and Lanes Committee Aug. 21 that these mounds present “more of a tripping hazard” because their coloring blends with the tanbark, making them hard to see.

Barry said the city expects the removal project to cost $7,000 to $10,000, with work expected to begin in mid to late September.

However, there are six more blue-colored mounds, and committee members said they want all 12 removed.

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