Field of dreams

When Doug Hansen first approached the city of Costa Mesa four years ago and asked officials to build a park unlike anything ever seen in the area, the response was it couldn’t be done within the city’s budget.

After close to $2 million in grants, donations and city funds, Angels Playground will open to the public Friday, offering amenities to disabled children above and beyond mere accessibility. The playground floor features rubberized material instead of sand, wide ramps connect all of the different attractions, and the swings and sandbox are wheelchair-accessible.

“We’re required to make any park handicap-accessible, but with this, we went way beyond that,” said Bart Mejia, the head engineer on the project with the city.

Hansen first thought to propose the idea to Costa Mesa after a visit to a physical therapist with his 6-year-old daughter, who is in a wheelchair because of several severe birth defects. The therapist said the daughter’s disability didn’t have to keep her from playing with other kids, Hansen said.

“Even if handicapped kids can’t use all of the swings and stuff, it gives them an opportunity to be closer to the action,” he said of Angels Playground, which includes some slides and monkey bars that most wheelchair-users might have a hard time negotiating.

The biggest funding boost the project got was a state grant for almost $1 million, which was announced late in 2005; but the grant came with the condition that Angels Charity, a nonprofit started by Hansen and his wife, raise $350,000 to supplement the funds. The city estimates it will have chipped in about $700,000 of its own money by project completion.

“Not only the current City Council, but going back several councils, access for the disabled has been something that they have placed as a priority,” City Manager Allan Roeder said, noting that former Mayor Gary Monahan has always been one of the strongest proponents of the project. “That goes back many, many years. So when this concept came forward, it was a real good fit with the city’s general philosophy.”

Altogether, Angels Charity has collected donations from more than a thousand sources, Hansen said. He estimates the charity has contributed about $200,000 to the project in both cash and services that have been directly donated.

In addition, $250,000 from Ikea, which gave the money to the city as part of its development agreement, helped the charity meet its funding requirement.

Hansen said he has meticulously observed the design and construction process, constantly giving input and suggestions.

“I’ve been out here every day since they started construction,” Hansen said.

Before the redesign, the park was dilapidated and outdated.

As Hansen stood near the entrance to the park Friday, local resident Ken Heath walked up with his 7-year-old daughter, but Hansen had to turn them away. Heath had walked across the street from the Costa Mesa Tennis Center, where his older daughter was playing, prompted by the large, multicolored tents that top the playground’s structures.

“I knew the stuff that was here before,” Heath said. “This is incredible. This is a huge project. We’re definitely going to come out. I’m going to bring my daughter here.”

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at [email protected].