- A SAFE HAVEN
by Christy Almazan
New York City, NYC
The Mitchell Rubber safety surfacing utilized throughout the park is a standard New York City Department of Parks & Recreation specification; the rubber compound, "waffle-shaped" surfacing material consists of 4'x4' square tiles that lock easily together 
The landscape design of the entire Lt. Lia Memorial Park was set in a series of levels to accommodate steep, hillside grades-- thereby minimizing the need for large retaining walls. These terraces were nestled into the hillside, in response to the community's concerns about visual accessibility. Now, there would be no walls for delinquents to hide behind. Most of the seating areas were incorporated within the retaining wall blocks that were built into the hillside. 
The main play structure -- a series of multi-level platforms designed by the Landscape Architect mimics the terrace and design of the surrounding park. The U.V. stabilized, high density polyethylene deck surfaces are texture coded and mounted to posts powder coated to hide the bolts on the inside with deck hanger cla mps. The ring bridge features rings which are tender-tuff coated to provide a comfortable yet durable grip for small hands -- along an 118" aluminum beam with swing hanger and welded "T" clamps. 
The hardscape design consists of decorative, precast concrete gray 4" x 8" pavers incorporated into a criss-cross pattern of bands 
Holland Stone precast concrete pavers and 4x8 gray brick bands set the stage for quiet, "passive" recreation in the memorial park . Poured-in-place concrete retaining walls and amphitheather steps provide quiet seating areas under the dramatic steel pergolas amidst the recreational parts of the memorial park. 
The water play area (above) incorporates erratic boulders and radiating concrete paver bands-- providing a sculptural quality to the setting while simultaneously serving as a seating area for parents and spectators. The irregularly placed glacial boulders are 4-6 feet long by 3-3 1/2 feet wide by 2 1/2-3 1/2 feet high (see detail, right). - At one point in time, the Lt. Nicholas Lia Memorial Park--which was named after a local Vietnam War veteran--in St. George, Staten Island, New York was a hangout for drug pushers and derelicts. Vandalism had rendered the park unsightly and unusable; as a result, the site had been abandoned by the community's residents. The original design had incorporated many high, free standing walls, monumental play structures and site amenities that had provided many hiding places for derelicts and thieves-- and resulted in the park's reputation as a dangerous place to avoid.
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC DPR) challenged the Landscape Architects at The Office of William B. Kuhl to redesign Lt. Nicholas Lia Memorial Park into a facility which was open, and would provide a visual connection between all the park's users. The design goal of the $1.2 million park and playground reconstruction was to provide active play areas for pre-teen children, a variety of passive activities for all age groups, accessibility for physically challenged individuals and maintenance vehicles, and to maximize opportunities for community use of the park.
- The eroding sloped lawn areas were addressed by the design team through the transformation of the new play area/open space design into a series of activity terraces. Stepping the terraces down the hillside at appropriate grade differentials created opportunities for sitting, separation between active and passive activities, and better integration into the sloped terrain, thereby minimizing the use of retaining walls. The human scale of the terraces provides a sense of intimacy, particularly those terraces framed by the two new pergolas. The smaller terraces abut the larger central open terrace, which is designed to be multi-functional. This area may be used for: children's games or unstructured play; community events that can utilize the amphitheater steps, which surround two sides for activities like dance; or as an outdoor auditorium facing the "podium/stage"--which extends from the water feature terrace for more formal or structured community or civic functions. Seating areas are peppered throughout the park, bordering or removed from the active areas, but always visually continuous throughout the whole site, allowing casual observation by parents or senior citizens of the children and related park activities. The lowest terrace provides views to New York Harbor. As for lighting issues, Kuhl explains, "We had to maintain a minimum light level for safety as the park is accessible 24 hours a day. The lighting level was designed to maintain a minimum of one foot candle of light through the park."
Special features of Lt. Lia Memorial Park include complete accessibility throughout the park; use of a "widened" ramp to provide vehicular access to the central open space for maintenance and community programs; colorful fabricated steel pergolas framing two "active" terraces; incorporation of native Staten Island glacial erratic boulders in the water feature design to provide a sculptural quality while providing users with opportunities for sitting, climbing, etc.; and concrete seat walls built into the hillside that minimize the impact to the existing grade and help integrate the park into the topography. The extensive use of new plant materials, including many flowering varieties, both stabilizes the most steeply sloped areas and provides an extended period of bloom and ever-changing visual interest throughout the year.
The design philosophy for this project was sharply influenced by the client, the NYC DPR, and the local community association, who were active participants in expressing their concerns and goals for this project. Prioritizing the issues and concerns they desired became a major component of the design program. A major concern was that all parts of the park had to be visually accessible at all times. The old derelict park had many high walls or structures that provided out of sight spots for drug dealing or "hanging out" that had given this location an unsavory reputation. Full accessibility to the steeply sloped site was also a priority. The old park had many areas that were not handicapped accessible nor readily accessible to elderly or people with less than normal physical well being. The community, wanted to maximize all recreation opportunities, both active and passive that this park provided. From the NYC DPR perspective, maintenance, construction cost and safety were primary concerns, as well as accessibility for all people and for maintenance vehicles.
According to Kuhl, "The most challenging aspect of this project was developing a cohesive design that incorporated the various pieces of equipment into a series of terraces that were all readily accessible by pedestrians and maintenance vehicles, and that were completely visually accessible; this design addressed the neighbors and community's major concern."
Kuhl also advises Landscape Architects who are designing playgrounds "to understand who will be using the park; to provide "buffer zones" between users at different age groups or activities; to use materials and detailing that do not create maintenance, or worse, dangerous conditions under the intense use play areas are usually subject to; and to make the design interesting so that it continues to challenge users, encourage social interaction, and provide a range of options for the users."
In the end, the Landscape Architect along with the entire design team, was able to provide community residents with a refurbished-- and most importantly, safe-- park that all ages can enjoy, at any time of the day. lasn