STUTTGART, Germany -- U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s Directorate of Public Works is working hard so community children can play even harder.
DPW is installing eight new playgrounds on Robinson Barracks and two new playgrounds on Kelley Barracks, replacing the 15- to 20-year-old models with more durable, safe, environmentally friendly and creative versions.
“For all of the playgrounds on RB and Kelley, the equipment was pretty old and outdated, so we decided to replace them all,” said Anja Reusch, DPW engineering technician and project manager.
The playgrounds are set to start opening this fall, beginning with the Kelley playgrounds and three on RB.
The installation is part of an Army-wide effort to ensure service members and families have a quality of life that matches the service they provide, according Col. Carl D. Bird, USAG Stuttgart commander.
“We’re building these playgrounds so that our kids can have a safe environment in which they can have fun in the community,” he said. “They’re the newest, latest, safest playgrounds on the market.”
Each playground has a rubber-like safety surface, which must be poured and cured in warm weather. This is why the playgrounds are being installed during the spring and summer, Bird added.
The playgrounds on RB are built to represent different American geographical themes, such as Hawaii, Grand Canyon, Prairie and Everglades.
For example, the Everglades playground (behind Buildings 178-9) will include grass-covered structures and a three-meter boat surrounded by tall grass.
Each RB playground is geared toward multiple age groups, from toddlers to school-aged children, with a variety of sandboxes, slides, climbing areas and tire swings.
Kelley Barracks will receive one playground for school-age children that includes a climbing structure, and another for toddlers and preschoolers with a small race track.
“We tried to do that on all playgrounds, where we have all age groups included,” Reusch said.
The playground equipment is made in the U.S., but meets both German and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission safety standards.
The most important safety element in each playground is the safety surface, which will help prevent children from falling and getting scraped, Reusch said.
The playgrounds are also environmentally and fiscally friendly. Many items are made from recycled materials or plastic, which don’t need to be replaced as often. In addition, the safety surfaces will allow water to drain back into the ground (unlike asphalt).
The playgrounds have been in the works for close to two years, including planning, Reusch said, so the final result has been long-awaited by families on RB and Kelley.
“We are very much focused on giving people a good feeling and a home they can take pride in,” Reusch said.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
There are several other construction projects ongoing or coming soon from DPW at RB, according to DPW officials.
Most of the roads in family housing areas will be repaved by the end of the year. Parking spaces will be added to stairwell apartment buildings as needed, so that there are two assigned parking spaces per apartment.
The new access control point, currently under construction, will also be completed this fall. When funding becomes available, a pedestrian access point will be installed near the RB Chapel.
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