Community Club Playground Design Day Slated for Sept. 13

The Topanga Community Club invites all interested residents to attend Design Day on Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Community House and witness the unveiling of the new design.

The Leadership board has engaged a professional playground design firm, Play By Design, to come to Topanga that evening to help the TCC create plans for a new playground.

“In the 30-plus years I’ve lived here, people have always wanted to be involved in the design and building of community projects. We hope to continue this tradition as we enter the next stage of the Community House playground. I don’'t meet one parent without talking about the playground,” says TCC Treasurer Gabrielle Lamirand.

The idea behind Play By Design is to draw on the unique talents and skills of individuals in each community they work with to build stimulating and unique playgrounds.

Design Day is just the beginning of what could be a months-long effort to raise the funds, recruit volunteers, and collect the necessary tools and resources to move forward.

“There are so many ways to contribute, not only financially,” Lamirand says. “We’ll need people to move the sand out, move the old equipment out, and help with every stage. And, of course, the building of a new playground.”

A small group of parent volunteers has raised the seed money for the initial stages of the design, which includes bringing the designer/project manager to Topanga.

Mark Nygard, TCC President, is excited that members are coming forward to transform the playground. “We’re pleased we’ve had some people step up to the plate. In the past, we have had a lot of hand raising but not a lot of action. This is great and we’re going to do everything we can to help this go forward.”

Nygard has personally pledged construction equipment to help facilitate some of the building in the spring.

Others in the community are also contributing. Canyon Car Service is donating transportation to and from LAX, and several members of the Topanga Chamber of Commerce have offered accommodations. Martín Rodriguez of Rodriguez and Satterthwaite, a landscape design company located in Old Canyon, has offered to donate his firm’s time to enhance the immediate area surrounding the playground space. 

In addition to meeting with TCC leadership and Playground Committee regarding the design of the playground, the architect from Play By Design will be interviewing the children at Topanga Elementary for the project. She writes, “Design Day is going to be so much fun! This is really doing something special for the community and giving the kids an opportunity to be part of it is wonderful.”

Area children not attending Topanga Elementary can also be involved in the project by submitting design ideas and drawings at the Topanga Art Imaginarium at Pine Tree Circle, or sending their ideas to topangaplayground@gmail.com.

Ben and Samantha Shore, ages five and eight respectively, have already written in with their ideas. Samantha says, “I am so excited for a new playground. I would like it to have a flying saucer.”

Ben adds, “I want our new playground to have a pole to slide down with great swings, slides and a mini zip line.”

Their mother, Nonie Shore, is a bit more general. “I look forward to having a more creative playground, utilizing the basic favorites, swings and slides, and adding more original climbing structures, that can be used for kids of all ages.”

TCC Treasurer Lamirand hopes the excitement and enthusiasm will catch on and get a new generation of Topangans involved in their community club. “The more we talk about it, the more we share with other people, the more energized we are. Everyone can make a small donation for a new playground that will leave a big impact on our community.”

The Topanga Community Club accepts new members in person or online. There are different membership levels, including family, senior and individual. For membership information, visit topangacommunityclub.org; find playground information at topangaplayground.blogspot.com.