The city of Prairie Village is seeking public input on two designs for a new inclusive play structure at Harmon Park, near Delmar and 77th streets.

The options: Both of the current designs before the public are treehouse-themed, the result of a previous survey conducted by the city, according to public works department senior project manager Melissa Prenger.

• The first option resembles a tree complete with shaded, wheelchair-accessible top platform, with parallel play areas for kids to enjoy activities side by side.
• The second option is a tree house with a tall climber, similar to a jungle gym, that is also wheelchair accessible and also has elements for musical play, rope climbing and swings.
• Both options have a deck and post play systems with slides, Prenger said.

How to take the survey: Residents can give their feedback on both designs online here.

• • Prenger said as of Aug. 16, there were already more than 250 responses.
  • The survey closes at the end of August, Prenger said.

Background: The city council approved an all-inclusive playground project at Harmon Park in January 2021, years after the idea first proposed.

• The $575,000 project was initially approved in 2018 but was later put on hold as the city continued to discuss the future possibility of a civic center campus and its potential impact on Harmon Park.
• Now, designs for the new playground are going forward though a future civic center has still not been determined.

Zooming out: The new inclusive playground will be placed near the Santa Fe shelter, near the tennis courts and west of the skate park in Harmon Park.

• The broader renovation of Harmon Park includes relocating practice tennis courts and some nearby parking, as well as building a new sidewalk, work on which is already ongoing.
• Prairie Village is also planning to allocate $1 million of improvements in the city’s capital improvement plan in 2024 and 2025 towards the Harmon Park improvements that include upgrades to the restroom and a new shelter to the park.

What’s next: Once the survey for the two inclusive playground options closes and city staff has a better idea of which play set is preferred, the city and whatever vendor is chosen will get to work, Prenger said.

• A final version of the playground set, with as many pieces from the public surveys included as possible, will take a few weeks to put together, she said.
• The final version of the play set will be taken to the city council for final review before the vendor is awarded the project, she said.