Playground Replacement

Playground Replacement at Childcare Facilities

Level of Effort Program: Childcare Renovations

Location Map of Playground Replacement Sites

Funding/Expenditure Schedule: APPROVED

Project Team

Montgomery County Government
Department of General Services

Division of Building Design & Construction

Division Chief: Hamid Omidvar, AIA
Hamid.Omidvar@montgomerycountymd.gov
Section Chief: Suresh Patel
Project Manager: Catherine Sheehan

Architect / Engineer

TBD

Contractor

TBD

For operations inquiries. Please contact.

Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services

240-777-0311

General project planning took place between FY19-FY22. Design for one of the projects began in FY21 and construction began in FY22. Design and construction for subsequent projects will continue to take place through FY29.

This category of the Childcare Renovation program provides for replacement of playgrounds at twenty-one (21) of the childcare facilities in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Childcare in Public Space (CCIPS) Program. The new playgrounds will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), incorporate inclusive play principles, and comply with regulatory requirements. Playground replacement design and construction efforts will be coordinated with projects in the modular replacement and ADA facility remediation categories.

A consultant was hired to perform a condition and ADA compliance survey at these playgrounds. The survey confirmed the nature of the various obstacles that impede fully inclusive play. In terms of basic access, loose laid wood chips (which provide an uneven surface) and associated timber borders (which are an obstacle for wheelchair users, produce splinters, and deteriorate) will be replaced with firm yet forgiving materials that are tested and established as being safe for children and require minimal maintenance. This upgraded surface will allow unimpeded movement for persons who use mobility devices and consistent access to transfer platforms and ramps. Changes in level leading to and within play areas including high thresholds, steps, excessive cross slopes, and differences in paving will be addressed. Subsurface drainage systems will be included to eliminate conditions that result in ponding and to compensate for impervious surface materials.

The play equipment will:

meet best practices in playground design for inclusive play;
be age and developmentally appropriate; and
provide challenge and choice.

The intent is to provide playgrounds that:

stimulate and nurture sensory, cognitive, physical, and social development;
provide a variety of activities; and
offer a safe, comfortable, and fun environment.

In terms of comfort and protection, fences will be maintained, replaced, or installed at all play areas; and child-proof gate latches similar to those used at swimming pools will be installed as an extra measure of child safety. Shade structures will be included to help create a comfortable environment allowing for extended periods of outdoor activities.

List of Projects

Childcare at Bethesda Regional Services Center - 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814
Childcare at Brooke Grove Elementary School - 2702 Spartan Road, Olney, MD 20832
Childcare at Clara Barton Community Center - 7425 MacArthur Boulevard, Cabin John, MD 20818
Childcare at Colesville Health Center - 14015 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20901
Childcare at Damascus Senior Center - 9625 Main Street, Damascus, MD 20872
Childcare at Galway Elementary School - 12612 Galway Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Childcare at Judith Resnik Elementary School - 7305 Hadley Farms Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Childcare at Lawton Community Center - 4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Childcare at Lone Oak Park - 1010 Grandin Ave, Rockville MD 20851
Childcare at Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Park - 1102 Jackson Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904
Childcare at Potomac Community Center - 11315 Falls Road, Potomac, MD 20854
Childcare at Shady Grove Life Sciences Center - 14910 Broschart Road, Rockville, MD 20850
Childcare at Shady Grove Metro - 15910 Somerville Drive, Rockville, 20855
Childcare at Stone Mill Elementary School - 14327 Stonebridge View Drive, North Potomac, MD 20878
Childcare at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School - 12260 McDonald Chapel Drive, Darnestown, MD 20878
Childcare at Upcounty Regional Services Center - 12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, MD 20874
Childcare at Viers Mill Elementary School - 11711 Joseph Mill Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906
Childcare at Waring Station Road - 18815 Waring Station Road, Germantown, MD 20874
Childcare at Weller Road Elementary School - 3301 Weller Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906
Childcare at West Diamond Avenue - 112 West Diamond Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Childcare at Woodlin Elementary School - 2103 Luzerne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910