While a contractor is busy renovating the splash pad play area at Fountain Park, right across the way work has also begun to replace playground equipment in the park.

The playground replacement cost is $360,000 and received council approval last year. The project is to update the equipment for the older kids, between the ages of five and 12. The playground at Fountain Park for younger children, ages 2-5, was replaced last year.

Community Services Director Rachael Goodwin said with Fountain Park being the town’s “flagship” park, it receives the most traffic, including out-of-town visitors.

She said the existing equipment is 15 years old and showing signs of extreme wear with failures beginning to occur. Several features, including a popular tire swing, had to be removed due to safety concerns.

The existing playground equipment would be on schedule for replacement in 2025, or after 20 years, according to Goodwin.

“(It) has been found that these types of high-use play structures have a useful life of 10 to 15 years,” she said. “The current signs of wear and deterioration indicate existing structures will not have four years of useful life remaining and will require replacement.”

Staff is revising the replacement schedule for the Facilities Reserve Fund to reflect the useful life of the equipment more accurately.

The total replacement and expansion of the play space is being undertaken to create a new and attractive destination playground within Fountain Park.

The new equipment is to feature a 30-foot climbing tower, which may be the first of its kind in the U.S., according to Goodwin.