lists the playgrounds by ward and the year in which they were installed or are proposed to be installed;
| Ward | Park | Year | Ward | Park | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central | 2015 | 6 | Kiwanis | 2014 | |
| 1 | Bellewood | 2017* | 6 | Little River Acres | 2012 | |
| 2 | Legacy Park/ NFL | 2007 | 7 | Forest Glade (Rubber) | 2016 | |
| 2 | Atkinson | 2009 | 7 | Lakeshore Woods | 2016* | |
| 2 | Mic Mac | 2014 | 8 | Meadowbrook | 2013 | |
| 3 | Wigle | 2014 | 8 | Polonia Park | 2017* | |
| 3 | Jackson | 2015 | 9 | Captain Wilson | 2012 | |
| 4 | Lanspeary | 2010 | 9 | Walker Homesites | 2016* | |
| 4 | Aylmer | 2012 | 10 | Superior Park | 2010 | |
| 5 | Ford Test Track | 2014 | 10 | South Cameron Woods | 2012 | |
| 5 | Mac Donald | 2017* | 10 | Remington Booster | 2015 | |
| *Denotes Future Installation | ||||||
Asset Management
The expected life associated with a typical playground unit is 15 to 20 years, based on industry standards. As playground equipment ages, the risk of failure to various components of the playground structure increases. There are also specific factors which can impact the life of a playground. Surface type and frequency of use are two known and predictable elements which are considered. While vandalism will also impact the life of a playground it is random in both location and severity. As such age, surface type and frequency of use should be considered when looking at the expected life of a playground unit, as well as the associated operational costs for maintenance.
The City of Windsor currently has 36 playground units removed from service. The 2014 enhanced capital budget allocated $2M from 2018 funding for the installation of accessible playground equipment. This funding addresses the playground needs in 8 parks. Additional funding for playgrounds is outlined in the Financial Matters section of this report.
There remains a significant gap in funding to replace the playgrounds being removed as a result of the audit and this funding gap brings into question what level of service is expected, and how it will impact funding requirements. Level of service can be considered by several factors for playgrounds:
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Accessibility of playgrounds to users
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Number of parks with playgrounds
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Size of playground equipment installed
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Safety of playgrounds for users
The requirement for AODA standards will greatly improve the first level of service by making all playgrounds accessible. The level of service for number of playgrounds prior to the recent removal of failed playgrounds exceeded the service level defined in the Official Plan for example providing more than one playground unit in park or having playgrounds located in parks across the street from each other. A possible consideration to address the significant funding gap is to evaluate the number of parks within close proximity which all have a playground. If the level of service was to ensure availability of playgrounds only meets the Official Plan requirements then there is a possibility to reduce the number of required playgrounds by installing one larger unit at