A moribund park of overgrown, weedy fields, a decommissioned swimming pool and mattresses strewn in the ravine is alive again with the squeals of delighted children and the chatter of their attentive parents.
Coquitlam’s Rochester Park, on the city’s south slope, has been reborn as a neighbourhood gathering place. It’s also the latest addition to the city’s growing inventory of cool parks featuring innovative equipment and play structures to expand the imaginations and test the physical abilities of visiting kids.
Rusting monkey bars, wooden swings and a sandbox just don’t cut it anymore.
Andre Isakov is the head of the team of three planners and two designers responsible for the $4.3-million makeover of the 10-acre park and said Rochester was “under-utilized but had fantastic bone structure.”
Those bones include a creek that runs through a wooded ravine, three terraced fields that cascade down the hillside and expansive views across the Fraser River to Surrey and beyond. It also has a ready supply of users from Maillard middle school right next door. But they weren’t using the park to its full potential.
Isakov said the students were key contributors to helping his team chart a new path for Rochester Park as a “neighbourhood-enhanced” park that will not only serve people who live immediately nearby but also draw families into the community.
Isakov and his team consulted with the community, city council, officials from School District 43 and Maillard middle as well as the kids to determine how to reinvigorate the park, overcome the challenges and exploit the advantages of its topography, and reimagine its role in its neighbourhood.
“They know what they like, they know what their peers like,” said Isakov of the feedback provided by the kids.
What they like, it turns out, is to be challenged, a chance to feel a little fear while testing their physical capabilities. They also want to explore and learn about their environment.
To achieve that, Isakov’s team had to navigate the tricky tightrope of just letting imaginations run wild while dealing with budgetary constraints and safety concerns. They also wanted their latest creation to be unique.
“We had to make sure we’re not duplicating what’s already in our park inventory,” Isakov said. “We needed to go beyond picking pieces out of a catalogue.”
Rochester Park’s upper playground features a small skater area with concrete berms and steel rails to test young boarders, a pair of dish swings, a zip line, a smaller, sandy “nesting” area around a small roller slide for toddlers, and a larger sandy play area that is encircled by a climbing structure of interlaced wooden logs and nylon netting that gets progressively larger as it winds its way around.
The play areas are buffered by grassed sitting areas and gardens bursting with black-eyed susans and daisies.
It’s all about creating opportunities to engage visitors of all ages and abilities, Isakov said.
“They touch on fundamentals like touching grass and dirt, learning about movement,” he said. “Hopefully that sparks some interest in a child and they want to learn beyond their physical skills.”
The middle terrace, which should be open by next week, is comprised of two sports fields, a climbing wall and a giant tube slide. The park’s lower level has a water play feature modelled after a flowing river, a new washroom facility as well as a picnic shelter and a lawn for lounging. The terraces are connected by a stairs as well as a natural ravine that has been cleaned of debris dumped in it over the years, its creek now daylighted.
Isakov, whose team was also behind the innovative designs of Queenston and Como Lake playgrounds, said parks have gone past being just passive green space. A well-designed park becomes an inclusive hub for the whole community, where kids and their families can socialize and forge new friendships while testing their newfound abilities.
“I think we’re moving towards accepting we can’t bubble wrap the children all the time,” Isakov said. “It’s better to excite the kids. Overall, the experience is more positive for the community.”
• The official opening of Rochester Park will be celebrated Sept. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m. The park is located at 1390 Rochester Ave.
