ST. GEORGE — City officials and area residents celebrated the installation of new playground equipment at a park in Bloomington Hills Monday morning.
Originally cut from the city budget last year, the new playground at Redwood Tree Park (formerly Bloomington Hills Park South) replaced the aging and dilapidated playground where some children were injured, St. George Mayor Michele Randall said in a video recently posted to social media.
Replacement of the 20-year-old playground, which had become a liability, was projected to run the city nearly $500,000 and was factored into the city’s 2022-23 budget. Due to the failure of a proposed property tax increase that would have been used to fund a five-year public safety plan, the park improvements and other line items amounting to $2.2 million were cut from that year’s budget.
However, the city’s RAP taxes – a portion of sales tax dedicated to funding the city’s recreation, arts and parks projects – “came in better than expected” and allowed the city to purchase new equipment, the mayor said.
“As you can see, people are loving it, kids are loving it,” Randall said as the video shifted to people behind her watching their children enjoy the new playground. “It’s a great playground.”
Located at 2859 South Redwood Tree Circle in St. George, the park covers nearly 3 acres and includes swings, a basketball court, a covered pavilion, picnic tables and a large, open grass area. The original playground equipment was removed by Nov. 1, 2022, with only some vertical monkey bars and swings remaining that have also been removed or replaced along the way.
At the time, Randall said leaving the park in such a state “didn’t feel like St. George” as the city places great emphasis on the quality of life its citizens enjoy. She also bemoaned how the city hadn’t been more proactive in maintaining the park’s playground equipment.
“I’d much rather see us rehab old parks over building new ones,” Randall said in an Oct. 27, 2022, council meeting. “We’ve let that park decay and crumble, and it’s not fair to the people that live out there.”
Overall improvements to Redwood Tree Park are estimated to run around $1.2 million and take place over three phases.
“The new playground is definitely an eye-catcher,” Ben Newman, the assistant director of parks for the city of St. George, told St. George News over the phone Wednesday.
The neighborhood kids love the new playground that sports a unique style of slide and has a surface area made out of material similar to the cork tops used in wine bottles, he said. Unlike the rubber surfaces found in other playgrounds, Newman said the cork material is designed to minimize heat when under the sun.
Shade structures have also been added as a part of the new playground, which is also now wheelchair accessible and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“This is a place where families and kids to get out and recreate,” Newman said. “So get out and enjoy the sun and the outdoors.”
Active parks versus area crime
With the removal of the old playground equipment, area residents and their children stopped visiting the park. Eventually, as visitation decreased, area crime increased as the seemingly abandoned park didn’t exactly promote the image of an active and involved community.
St. George Police Officer Seth LaFevre, who lives in the Bloomington Hills neighborhood and stood next to the mayor during the video, said the area began to see a rise in mail thefts, car thefts, drug use and drug deals. One drug dealer even began to do sell their goods in the park at night due to the lack of use by the public, he said.
In January the Round Tree Circle area was the site of a shooting during a botched robbery attempt. Two men were arrested in the wake of the incident and subsequently charged with attempted murder, aggravated robbery and criminal mischief.
“That was alarming to me as a police officer, seeing that in this specific area,” LaFevre said.
While local residents went on to create a neighborhood watch and notify the police of anything that looked suspicious in the neighborhood, LaFevre said. They also wanted the playground back, he said, yet had to learn patience as the city worked to move the project along.
Having a new playground there promotes outdoor activity and helps lend to the idea of “crime prevention through environmental design,” the officer added.
According to the Salt Lake City Police Department, crime prevention through environmental design, or CPTED, is “a crime prevention approach based on a theory that the built environment influences the behavior of people. The proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the incidence and fear of crime, thereby improving the quality of life.”
Examples of this include “repairing abandoned buildings and vacant lots. Cleaning and maintaining neighborhood green spaces. Upkeep of neighborhood housing,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Photo Gallery
At the new playground at Redwood Tree Park in Bloomington Hills, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2023 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
At the new playground at Redwood Tree Park in Bloomington Hills, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2023 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
The new playground at Redwood Tree Park in Bloomington Hills, St. George, Utah, July 17, 2023 | Photo courtesy of the city of St. George, St. George News
L-R: St. George Mayor Michelle Randal and St. George Police Officer Seth LaFevre at the new playground at Redwood Tree Park in Bloomington Hills, St. George, Utah, July 17, 2023 | Photo courtesy of the city of St. George, St. George News
At the new playground at Redwood Tree Park in Bloomington Hills, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2023 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
At the new playground at Redwood Tree Park in Bloomington Hills, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2023 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
At the new playground at Redwood Tree Park in Bloomington Hills, St. George, Utah, July 19, 2023 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News
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