Generation Park slated for new playground equipment

Glide slides, spiral climber, loop ladder, spin cup and more swinging in soon

New swings, slides and other cool but tough playground equipment are on their way to being installed at Generation Park in Langley. It will replace dilapidated, worn out equipment that some viewed as too old to be safe.

The city’s Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee selected a design from three playground configuration options of the Playworld Systems Challenger Structure, sold by Northwest Playground Equipment Inc. of Issaquah.

Bids are going out for installation, said Public Works Director Stan Berryman.

Neighbors, parents and the Langley Community Club that maintains the park all expressed support for a new and modern look for Generation Park, located at the intersection of Second Street and De Bruyn Avenue.

“Langley is in dire need of an appropriate play space for children,” Kris Barker, executive director of South Whidbey Children’s Center, stated in a letter. “The children from the center often go to Generation Park on walking field trips. … The current equipment is too small, not designed for public use and aging.”

Total cost of equipment and installation is $36,712, Berryman said. The project is approved for $25,000 in the city’s 2019 capital project budget, but funds can be shifted from other projects.

Additionally, the Langley Community Club is willing to commit $8,500, Berryman told the council.