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New place to play

Surrey plans playground as park’s first phase

Submitted Photo A rendering shows a playground that will be installed later this year in a new city park in Surrey.

SURREY – The installation of new playground equipment, expected to happen later this year, will be a milestone in the effort to develop a new park in Surrey.

For a small town, Surrey has a notable selection of lovely parks but none are in the southern part of town.

“There’s nothing on the south side of the railroad tracks,” Surrey Park Board President Steve Quist said, noting the tracks carry numerous trains each day.

“That’s why we decided to have more park land for this park, just so that kids don’t have to cross two tracks,” he said. “It’s a big safety thing.”

The idea for a park gained traction when in February 2019, the park district received a $20,000 grant from BNSF Railway. Kim Shaw, park clerk, had written for the grant, and when she left city employment shortly afterwards, city staff members at the time, Jenny Johns and Kelli Engg, filled in to help seek out land for a potential new park.

Keith and DeWayne Streyle of Leeds, who hold ownership interests in United Community Bank, agreed to donate nearly five acres of development property in a cul de sac in southwest Surrey that had come into the bank’s possession. The donation came with two residential lots that the park board sold to raise money.

Kelsey’s Bobcat & Backhoe Service donated time, labor and equipment to serve as match for a $7,500 grant from Trinity Health Foundation. The playground manufacturer provided a BCI Burke’s Play20 50% matching grant that will greatly reduce the local cost. The park board, with help of current city staff, continues to pursue additional grants.

The park board has sought to increase its resources for developing the new park by hosting fundraisers. Money has been raised for the project this past winter through monthly movie nights, children’s craft events and game nights in City Hall.

“We’ve been doing a lot of things to try to kind of bring the community together as well as do some fundraising,” Quist said.

The park board held a raffle, but the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into many of the proposed fundraising activities. T-ball was canceled this summer, eliminating the concessions income, and an RV park that generates revenue hasn’t seen its usual guests. Quist said they haven’t given up on some fundraising activities, such as outdoor movies, but are still looking for a way to make them feasible during the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the park district’s seasonal staff are maintaining the new park land as the community looks forward to its development. Charles Tollefson, mayor and retired Surrey businessman with a vision for the local park system, volunteered with project planning and has been donating time and supplies toward parks upkeep to help stretch the district’s limited resources.

The erection of the playground is phase one in the development plan. The playground is designed for children ages 5 to 12, and the board would like to add additional equipment for younger children, Quist said. It also wants to install picnic shelters. Other features could be added later.

“We’re kicking around a few ideas, trying to make it as popular as possible,” Quist said.

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