Just looked up the budget for the new park on Main Street and the numbers are wild

I was reading the meeting notes from the Bothell Community Board website last night, trying to see when they'd fix the pothole on my block. I got sidetracked and saw the line item for the new playground equipment at the park. It's over $75,000 just for the climbing structure. I had no idea that stuff cost so much, I figured it was maybe half that. Where does all that money even come from, and does anyone know if they're taking bids from local companies?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_white1mo ago

Check if that price includes the safety surfacing too.

the_robin1mo ago

My buddy Mike ordered a swing set last year. The quote was for two grand. They showed up to install it and said the wood chips were another eight hundred. He had to scramble to find a truck and buy forty bags from the hardware store himself. It turned a weekend project into a whole thing. Always ask about the ground cover.

max4151mo ago

But is a fancy climbing frame really that big of a deal? Kids were happy with a slide and some swings for decades. $75k seems like a ton for one piece, even with the safety stuff jamie_white mentioned. Where does that tax money actually go, and who decides it needs to be the most expensive option? Feels like they could get something just as good for way less and fix a bunch of those potholes instead.