Clearwater Beach Association to Hear More on Sandcastle Playground Plan

Wendy Hutkin is baffled at how a plan for a nearly $500,000 playground could be built before residents could see and support it.

The price tag for the playground is a concern, especially when that money could be used in myriad ways to expand access to facilities where hours were slashed because of budget cuts over the last half decade, said Hutkin, president of the Clearwater Beach Association, a neighborhood group.

“Why could that money not go to the pool, library and recreation center?” she said. “We don’t need a playground next to a playground.”

Beach residents would rather see that money spent to keep the library open longer than 20 hours a week or make the pool available year-round, Hutkin said.

Residents get a chance to find out more about the project when Kevin Dunbar, director of the city’s parks and recreation department, meets with beach residents to talk about plans to bring the nearly $500,000 sandcastle playground to Pier 60 Park at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Clearwater Beach Library and Recreation Center.

The City Council was going to vote on funding the project April 18, but it was continued to May 16 after concerns from resident and business groups were raised.

A wish list for other items to spend the general fund money circulated in an email to association members since the vote was delayed:

“The Council could vote for the above or they could decide to spend:

$25,000 to return the lighting to our tennis courts at night - PLUS

$25,000 to keep the Beach Library open fulltime (like the other libraries in the City)  PLUS

$115,000 to outfit the Beach Pool for heating and keep it open year round PLUS

$ ???? to return the playground equipment to our city parks PLUS

$ ???? to provide the kind of restrooms needed to replace the obsolete ones in Crest Lake Park PLUS

$ ???? to finally make Coachman Park into something we can all enjoy as a park PLUS

$ ????_______________ fill in the blank, the remainder of the $535,000 should cover it.”

Buying the playground for the project was sole-sourced to Landscape Structures Inc. because the design and product is unique and not competitive, according to city records.

“As all playground manufactures design and make equipment that, while similar, is unique to their product line and not competitive,” according to city documents. “The City has traditionally purchased equipment from various vendors in order to take advantage of special pricing and quality designs.”

In addition to the play structure and an entry sign, the project included repairing parts of the existing seating wall and walkways, repairing irrigation and improving the special event layout to mesh the park more closely with the look of Beach Walk. Plans also call for adding a military flag plaza. 

The sandcastle playground and entry sign would be a focal point and photo-op for residents and visitors to Clearwater Beach, officials said.

Hutkin said the draw of Clearwater Beach is its sand, not a playground at a park.

“The attraction is Clearwater Beach,” she said. “People come there because we have a beach right there.”

If you go:

What: Clearwater Beach Association meeting

When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 7

Where: Clearwater Beach Library and Recreation Center, 69 Bay Esplanade

Related coverage:

• Pricey Playground Eyed for Clearwater Beach

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