The city of Vancouver will put accessible play equipment in Fruit Valley Park and rename it Elizabeth Austin Playground. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
The city of Vancouver plans to replace playground equipment at Fruit Valley Park with inclusive play equipment for children of all abilities, thanks to a $1.2 million donation from the Vancouver-based Kuni Foundation. The park will be renamed Elizabeth Austin Playground.
The Vancouver City Council’s Monday approval of a bid for the work kick-started the process. Allcon LLC of Brush Prairie will begin construction in the next few weeks. The park will reopen at the end of the summer.
The Kuni Foundation, one of Southwest Washington’s largest private charitable foundations, invests in projects for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as cancer research. Joan and Wayne Kuni, founder of the former Vancouver-based car dealership company Kuni Automotive, formed the foundation in 2005.
Two years ago, the Kuni Foundation approached the city about a desire for another inclusive playground in Vancouver — particularly one to honor the late Elizabeth Austin, a mother of twin boys and member of the Kuni family who advocated for a park in Clark County for all children.
“It’s near where Elizabeth lived. She would have driven by it every day. … This is really meant to reflect Elizabeth’s commitment to community and enhancing inclusion,” said Angela Hult, president of the Kuni Foundation.
The timing was perfect, given that the 31-year-old Fruit Valley Park equipment needs replacement, said Melody Burton, a communications specialist with the city’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department.
The theme of the park, located at 3200 Fruit Valley Road, will be “Play like a Bird” and inspired by Fruit Valley’s natural habitats. The park will include statues of birds, a giant birds nest, sensory water features, a drum, a two-way zip line with a bucket seat, and a structure similar to a merry-go-round for children with mobility issues.
“When children play together, they form relationships. Children learn from each other,” Hult said. “To me, that’s what Vancouver is all about.”
The park will also be the first fully fenced public playground in Vancouver. In the community feedback response, parents shared the need for a safe place for children who have wandering tendencies to play, Burton said.
Given that the number of features and total cost were higher than originally estimated, Hult said, the Kuni Foundation increased its original donation from $1 million to $1.2 million. The city will also contribute $165,000 in park impact fee revenue, with $45,000 of that going toward fencing.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle commended the foundation for its understanding that costs have increased and commitment to the project.
“I was just absolutely ecstatic about their initial grant, the additional grant and their heart that they have put into this project,” McEnerny-Ogle said.
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