City ordinance to require metal canopies at future playgrouunds
Dozens of El Paso playgrounds will soon see metal canopies as part of a new city ordinance.
On Tuesday, the Parks and Recreation Department presented its proposal and the cost to city council to install metal canopies at parks. There are currently 122 playgrounds in the city that do not have any playground shade whatsoever. It would cost the city $116,000,000 to install metal shade canopies at those locations.
City officials tell ABC-7 each one costs $135,000 as opposed to $57,000 for fabric canopies. However, city officials say the longevity and overall expense is less. Fabric canopies need to be replaced every ten years, which costs about $17,000 dollars. City officials tell ABC-7 they think this change will help encourage park use because it provides total coverage, something fabric canopies can’t do.
“If its hot, like it is today, it will go unused. And we want to make sure that it’s usable for the community. So putting a canopy over that will help us with that,” Tracy Novak, with the City of El Paso’s Park and Recreation Department said.
The department will go back to city council soon to get the ordinance change approved. The ordinance would require all future parks and those that don’t have any shade, to install metal shade canopies. Playgrounds with fabric canopies will not be replaced.
