Broomhill Park playground equipment may soon be in for replacement after the District of Sooke determined it’s too old for continued public use.
A staff report, presented to Sooke council Monday, said one of the structures has “serious” rusting issues and is no longer compliant with Canadian Standards Association requirements, making it a liability.
“It’s getting older and it’s starting to show fatigue, and we want to replace it before it becomes unsafe,” said director of devlopment services Rob Howatt, who helped write the report.
Council agreed to direct staff to use funds from the parks enhancement budget to remove the failing structure and replace it with a new one. Replacement of the rusty components was considered, but because the manufacturer (Paris) is no longer in business, repairs will be difficult and expensive, only extending the life of the structure by a few years.
Even if the district did get its hands on the replacement parts, it still wouldn’t be an ideal investment.
“A distributor is able to provide rails from another manufacturer for an estimated $15,000. However, there is no guarantee that the parts will fit and these parts cannot be returned,” Howatt said, adding each Paris-spec rail sells anywhere between $500 to $800, with around 30 pieces needing replacement.
Individual part replacement also will not bring it into current CSA standard, either, he added.
As such, staff recommended replacement of the whole structure at an estimated cost of $50,000 and $60,000. This will provide a fully CSA compliant structure that will last more than 20 years.
In addition, Howatt noted a new structure can also provide expanded play opportunities to a wider range of age groups for Sooke’s most popular playground.