Upgrades to make San Miguel Park accessible to kids with disabilities approved by Newport Beach City Council

Kids with disabilities will be able to take on the challenge of scaling a 12-foot tower and experience the rush of sliding all the way back down thanks to a $902,475 makeover of San Miguel Park approved by the Newport Beach City Council last week.

The renovation of the 5,500-square-foot play area on San Miguel Drive between Spyglass Hill Road and Yacht Coquette was approved as part of the consent calendar at the council’s Oct. 8 meeting. The contract for work on the park was awarded to R.E. Schultz Construction, Inc., which was the lowest bidder among five firms that had submitted estimates, according to reports from city staff. A sixth company was also considered, but it did not have all of the necessary credentials.

Mayor Will O’Neill commended the city staff for their efforts to ensure that all residents will be able to enjoy San Miguel Park and other local playgrounds.

“It’s a really big deal,” O’Neill said. “I just want to say thank you for everything you’ve been doing to get us to this point, especially at all of the other parks, taking the steps to make sure kids, especially kids but also folks that have developmental disabilities, have access to our playground equipment.”

Crews plan to tear out and replace all of the existing playground equipment and worn-out rubber flooring at the park, Newport Beach Recreation & Senior Services Dept. Deputy Director Justin Schmillen told the Daily Pilot in an email.

The new play area will feature two main structures. One is a “Super Netplex” by play equipment designers Landscape Structures. It includes a long tube slide that children who use wheelchairs can reach via a spiraling belt of suspended play mats, instead of stairs or ladders.

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The other structure features a wheelchair-accessible ramp leading to an area with a roller slide and freestanding pod climbers. Another ADA-friendly addition coming to the park is a Wee-saw, a re-imagined version of a see-saw that has seats with back support.

The renovated park will also have traditional bucket and belt swings, a sand pit with digging tools and a learning wall, Schmillen said. City officials expect crews to break ground on the project next summer and plan on opening the park to the public in the fall.