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<br />Playground surfacing. Surfaces around all playground equipment will be a material that <br />will cushion falls, wash easily and be suitable for wheel chair activity. In some cases, the <br />ground may be built up (like under slides for example) to reduce fall distances. <br /> <br />B. Standards of Construction <br /> <br />The City of Paris recognizes that quality and economics can sometimes, if not carefully <br />managed, be mutually exclusive goals. The old theory that you get what you pay for has <br />long been proven in park and recreation construction. The city should implement in all <br />construction of its park improvements guidelines which offer the most value for the dollar <br />spent, long term benefit, low maintenance costs, and certainly safety. It is an unfortunate <br />fact of life that sometimes aesthetics will give way to sturdiness. Likewise some projects <br />will go undeveloped because of their potential for vandalism attack, difficulty in maintaining <br />the project, high liability and risk, or outright lack of funds for staffing. <br /> <br />Restrooms _ Under current policy the city does not construct restrooms in public parks <br />primarily due to the intense maintenance required and frequent vandalism which occurs in <br />public restrooms. The city staff recommends continuing this policy except in large, high <br />visibility areas and in parks where reservations are required and restrooms can be secured. <br />The city does construct concrete pads on which to set temporary toilet facilities during peak <br />seasons and special events. <br /> <br />Playgrounds - Playgrounds should be constructed using the latest state-of-the-art <br />equipment designed for safety and durability. Areas surrounding play areas should be <br />covered with at least 6 inches of pea gravel or similar non-compacting and resilient cover. <br />The city should replace obsolete or worn playground equipment immediately. Chains, <br />bolts, and other hardware must be inspected often and replaced if damaged or rusted. <br />Facilities should be inspected for safety at least twice per year and gravel replaced <br />frequently to maintain the proper thickness. A generic checklist should be developed which <br />can be used by park inspectors to identify and report needs. Files should be maintained <br />with these inspection reports as well as any citizen reports. <br /> <br />Handicapped accessibility - The city should select equipment which is, as much as <br />practicable, accessible to handicapped persons. Walks and trails should not exceed 2% <br />transverse and longitudinal slopes with wheel chair ramps should not exceed 1 inch rise <br />in 12 inches. Parks not so equipped should be furnished with paved parking areas at least <br />in the handicapped parking spaces. <br /> <br />Roads, drives and parking - The city requires all park roads, drives and parking facilities <br />to be constructed dust-free. Gravel parking areas are therefore not permitted. <br /> <br />Swimming pools - While the city does not currently operate any pools, certain guidelines <br />for pool construction should be observed. The National Swimming Institute promulgates <br /> <br />-5- <br />