Snoqualmie Community Park located adjacent to Cascade View Elementary School and the Snoqualmie YMCA is one of the original parks of Snoqualmie Ridge, built in the center of the master-planned community around the time of its inception in the late 90’s. The 33-acre park is home to two large soccer fields that continuously host practices and games spring, summer and fall, a basketball court and three tennis courts. The views of Mt. Si and the Cascade Foothills are spectacular. Pretty much the only thing I’ve ever heard anyone complain about when it comes to the park is the play equipment. The common question I got from people as a parks board member was, “Who picked the play equipment at the big park?”
I never knew the answer to the question, but having 4 kids of my own, I’d heard them whine about the play equipment before. Young kids tend to pick their favorite parks based on the equipment available to play on. When I’d ask mine if they wanted to go to the “big park,” the answer was usually no, that the equipment (kind of futuristic ) was boring. With the amount of parks (and kids) in Snoqualmie, I guess it’s no wonder kids have become play equipment connoisseurs. A park with non-traditional play equipment doesn’t tend to create the same enthusiasm from kids if there’s another option close by – and those other options seem to be around every corner in Snoqualmie.
But starting next week (if all goes well) Snoqualmie Community Park will have its aging play equipment replaced by one that keeps up with the kid traffic the popular park sees – and hopefully appeal to Snoqualmie kids no matter what their age. The new, bigger equipment has a big slide, little slide, fort, small rocking horses and yes, even swings – something you don’t see that often at new parks. Instead of play chips there will be green foam tiles.
Installation work will continue this week and if all goes well, the new playground could be ready for the annual 4th of July festivities at the park next Wednesday.
