Disability-friendly playground to begin construction in Cupertino this summer

A long-awaited city project to make a popular Cupertino park more inclusive for residents is slated to begin construction this year.

Positioned along South Stelling Road just east of Highway 85, Jollyman Park is an 11.5 acre public space containing ball fields, two playgrounds and picnic areas. In 2019, the city received funds from a Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors grant program to help design and construct an all-inclusive playground that would replace the existing structures. The term refers to a play area that addresses the needs of all ages and abilities, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory challenges, visual and auditory impairments, cognitive, developmental and physical disabilities, as well as medically fragile individuals.

Following two years of project planning and community feedback, the city is now ready to begin the bidding process and find a builder who can turn the $4.8 million idea into a reality.

“If everything goes well, the bid goes well right away and council approves the contract, construction would start summer of 2024,” said Tina Kapoor, deputy city manager for Cupertino. “What we’re projecting is that construction will be completed in 2025.”

Although a first for Cupertino, inclusive playgrounds have been popping up in Santa Clara County, including the Magical Bridge Playgrounds in Palo Alto and Sunnyvale, and the Rotary PlayGarden in San Jose.

For a park to be considered eligible, it must meet certain criteria, including having a designated play area of 0.8 acres or larger, lots of users and it must be in a walk-, bike- and public transportation-friendly location. Out of the four major Cupertino parks, Jollyman was chosen by the city to be the most appropriate place for the playground. According to a 2022 city survey with 180 responses from residents, 4% live close enough to walk or wheelchair to Jollyman and 10% personally experience physical, sensory and/or cognitive abilities that limit their usage of local parks.

With additional funding coming from the city and state, new accessible-friendly playground elements will include swing sets, music and quiet zones, climbing and sliding areas and a sensory and spinner zone.

While unexpected developments like the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the progress of the project, Kapoor said it hasn’t hindered community enthusiasm.

“The pandemic kind of slowed the project a little bit,” Kapoor said. “But the community has been really excited about this from the get-go, and the enthusiasm has only grown.”

One of these excited residents is Alicia Schober. Schober, along with four other community members, were part of a now-disbanded city leadership program cohort that introduced inclusive playgrounds to the council in 2016.

Schober’s inspiration stemmed from her then 11-year-old son, Nathan, who has a sensory processing disorder, a condition that affects how his brain processes sensory information.

“As a mother of a son with special needs, I recognized the benefits of having an all-inclusive playground,” she said. “It’s a place for people to experience with all their senses and get enjoyment from, whatever their abilities are.”

Determined to see the playground prosper, Schober became involved in every stage of the city’s planning process. Although the finished product is still ways away, she is proud to see how far it has come.

“I told my son that he was the inspiration,” she said. “He sparked my passion to try and keep this in front of the city.”

Her enthusiasm is echoed by resident Louise Saadati, who heard about the project in 2020 and participated in community engagement opportunities for it. The retired physical therapist visited Jollyman frequently during the pandemic to walk her dog. While adhering to social distancing measures and mask mandates, she was able to get to know other residents and began taking an interest in the park.