Golis Parks Elevated Playground Structure’s Code Violations

This Elevated Playground Structure violates the 6’ Clearance In All Directions Anywhere There Is A Possiblility Of A Child Falling Requirement in numerous locations. Plus it has lots of Fall Locations where a Toddler can just walk right off the platforms. Plus a 8’ Slide Height Requires a 8’ Landing Zone. There are two 8’ Slides with only a 6’ Landing Zone, and the tallest slide doesn’t have the Required 6’ Clearence at The Ladder. If a child falls while climbing up the slide, they will hit the structure behind the ladder.

There isn’t any site control, it’s open 24/7, and the Parents are the worst violators because they let there toddler kids play at the playground. I’ve seen kids as young as 2 years old that can hardly walk on their own go up to the top, and the parents even help them up on the Elevated Playground Structure if they need it. Plus the Structure has easy access with the stairway that takes the Toddlers right up to the top platforms where they can just walk right off, or back off accidentally.

The city knows all about it but won’t act on it.

Also the playground area doesn’t have the proper drainage to use Loose Fill Fall Protection (Redwood Bark). Last year as they were installing the playground it rained and the area filled with 8” of water. It never drained all the way, and after 3 weeks of waiting, it didn’t evaporate either. So they went and covered up the fact that it didn’t drain by installing the bark over the remaining water. This is a Major HealthHazard that will only get worse as time goes on. The Toddlers Playground area doesn’t have drainage at all. All the old dirt in the Elevated area was Contaminated by the local Rodents and the local pets using the area as a cat box for 35 years. The surrounding area is loaded with Big Rats and they feed from the $1,000.00 (out of code) Open Top trash cans right next to the playground. Plus it Stinks with all the Dog Poop that’s put inside, how disgusting is that? And you can sit on The Old Splintering Wooden Seats, And Trip on the useless Sprinkler head sticking up right where you walk. How sad is this place?

The City Knows Of all the UBC code violations and all the Public Playground Safety Requirements that were violated, and that are still there. I informed them all with pictures and the code sections that weren’t being followed as it was going on. I also informed the Playground manifucture that the contractors weren’t installing it to the USB Codes and weren’t using the proper concrete installation methods, and they didn’t use any re-bar to hold the Footings together. They placed the metal structures bases (the 3” pipes) on 8” x 8” x 1 1/2” thick Sand Stone Stepping Bricks to get the height that they needed, then sat the metal pipes on top of it, then they dumped dry bags of Quick Crete Fence Post Concrete (not the Required 3,000 psi concrete that is required for all construction) then poured water on top. No Slump Tests or concrete samples for strength testing were taken, and there isn’t any concrete below the Elevated Stepping Steps structures. So they will fail soon.

Also the area surface drains in the Park don’t have the Required gas seals in them, and are all tied together so if gas is spilt Anywhere in the area, the explosive gas vapors will go right to the Drain at the BBQ/Picnic/Toddlers Playground/Snack Bar area/and the one at the Elevated Playground Structure area, And if there are flames in the BBQ at the same time, they will ignite. You can smell all the cleaning chemicals when they are cleaning the bathrooms, and you are sitting at the eating area.

I never herd anything from the City or the Company at any time during or after the project. No building inspections were done by the city during the construction at all. They didn’t go thru the building dept to save money. They say a Playground Safety Inspector came in after the fact and OKed it after the fact. I don’t see how a safety inspector would ever OK any part of this playground, knowing it will be traced back to him if he OKed the Site with all the Blaten violations that are there.