ceremony

Parents and families in the Waller area now have another park they can visit. It has slides, a swing and a plethora of bars to climb on.

Lidford Playfield at 4115 60th St. E. recently got a new playground. The play equipment rests on top of fall surfacing, comprised of engineered wood fiber to prevent injuries and provide a soft landing. There is also an ADA-accessible ramp connected to a walking path at the park.

In addition to the slides and climbing areas, there is a disc swing. Disc swings are becoming more popular at parks and allow for multiple riders, Andriana Fletcher, Pierce County public information specialist, wrote in an email.

The playground equipment was installed in March 2022, Pierce County Parks and Recreation Director Roxanne Miles said. Construction work began in late 2021.

“Every playground is age-specific,” Miles said. “This is geared towards a little bit of a younger play audience but that’s really part of that design as younger families are emerging in that community.”

The park is open to all ages.

The county is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees can expect county leaders to talk about the playground. There will also be hands-on activities such as a kite building station and yard games such as disc golf.

Miles said the park has typically been used for sports events since the 1970s. Local municipalities hosted sports leagues there. Once they moved into sports complexes, the county wanted to “return this to the community,” she said.

Discussions about making changes to the park began in 2012. The county added a walking trail to the park around 2018. The playground equipment was suggested shortly after, and it cost the county around $140,000.

“It is a small park, but I think when you make a small change like this it helps revitalize and it draws the community in,” Miles said. “Making a small change … still is making a big difference for that community there.”