Residents to Plan for South Park Playground

As Hermosa Beach's , the South Park Design Committee envisions a playground to replace part of in the park, and the design of the play area remains in the hands of the community.

"Does the community want just a typical type of playground? Do they want maybe something more imaginative like a pirate ship? Or a forest," asked Jessica Guheen of the South Park Design Committee. "Part of the phase right now is getting the community input."

Committee members and residents have been meeting at the bleachers in the park around 9 a.m. every Saturday to discuss the playground plans and share ideas, Guheen said. The public is invited.

"It kind of gives us time to brainstorm," she said.

Guheen, a local mother, was active in the development of the South Park master plan about two years ago. Now she and other residents have joined together to form the design committee.

"I’m on the playground renovation committee and we are very excited about this new accessible playground which is going to be built this year," said Hermosa Beach mother Beth Rohrer in an email to Patch.

Guheen said the goal remains to make the playground a community project. For example, the committee plans to launch a design contest to get children’s input on design plans from both , as well as the South Bay Friendship Circle.

"There will be some type of program later in the spring that will be more about how the community wants to put their stamp on the park. Ideas we’re throwing around are things like sponsored swings or sponsored slides," Guheen said. "So people 20 years from now will see this is a labor for love."

The city has received a $150,000 Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District grant through Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe's office to renovate South Park, Rohrer said.

As residents discuss design plans, Guheen said the city would go through the formal process of putting out a bid for vendors.

Residents are invited to contact the South Park Design Committee at southparkmothers@gmail.com, and share your ideas here on Hermosa Beach Patch. How would you like the playground to look? .

Editor's Note: The name of the grant, being "Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District," was added to this article at 9:42 a.m. Monday.