Neel Park Playground and Dog Park

O’Dell Engineering, a Westwood company was involved from early concept and visioning through construction administration and playground safety inspections on this neighborhood park.  The site was identified as a prime location for development of a diversely programmed neighborhood park while our team was the consultant for the City’s Parks Master Plan update. Following the Parks Master Plan’s adoption, Neel Park was made a priority for development by the City and funding opportunities were identified for full build-out. The master plan included the addition of a large playground area with multiple play structures, picnic facilities, a basketball court, outdoor exercise equipment, open turf play space, shade structures, and site lighting on one half of the park. A large tension shade structure was custom-designed to span the entire playground area, in order to provide shade and increase the usability of the play space. The playground and additional amenities were thoughtfully prepared with socially inclusive principals as a core design strategy.  On the other half of the park, our team designed a .6 acre fenced off-leash dog park divided into two separate areas, with dual-gate entries, shade structures, seating, dog waste stations, and dog bowl drinking fountains. A pathway with decomposed granite surfacing runs on the inside around the entire fenced area, supporting a feasible long-term maintenance regimen and reducing wear and tear on fencing. A small parking lot with ADA accessible parking stalls and pathways was designed adjacent to the dog park entry. O’Dell Engineering, a Westwood company assisted the City with preparing materials for grant applications using the approved master plan. Following award of grant monies, our team developed construction documentation and assisted the City with bidding and construction management. The Neel Park Dog Park is the first dog park in the City of Ceres.