Salida Chisholm Park

This project was initiated by the insurance provider for the City of Salida. The existing playground equipment in Chisholm Park is uninsurable and hence needs to be replaced. In an active community such as Salida, though, such playgrounds are used frequently and are an important part of the fabric of the parks in the city. The UTA program was asked to consider all the parks in one broad vision, making sure each develops its own character and provides a unique experience for the residents. From this consideration of the Master Plan, a priority was given to Chisholm Park. There has been a recent renovation and construction of a picnic facility, including a barbecue grill, and food prep area, and with the renovation of the playground, this park would be greatly enhanced.

After measuring and photographing the playground, UTA students prepared two distinct plans. These concepts were presented at a community wide meeting in the late spring of 2014, taking into account input received previously with students at Longfellow Elementary as well as two other public engagement gatherings. A final implementation plan was adopted and presented to the City Council for approval in July of 2014.

An RFP was issued based on the conceptual vision produced by the UTA program in the summer of 2014. It is expected the work will be done by the end of 2014 and the park will be open for use as winter recedes in 2015, using GOCO funding as well as city resources.

Project Team: Jeffrey Wood, Kelly Finkowski, Tucker Hancock and Mollie Somes

Local Participants:Theresa Casey, Dara MacDonald