Kensington Park in Mendota Heights Poised for New Playground

This fall, Kensington Park in southeast Mendota Heights will have new features for neighborhood families to discover.

The Mendota Heights City Council approved the purchase of new playground equipment for the park at .

The Parks and Recreation Commission spent months planning, discussing and gathering public sentiment regarding the makeover of Kensington. 

The current equipment, installed in 1989, was identified for replacement due to outdated safety features, poor drainage, inaccessible surfacing, and peeling paint.

Parks commissioners held , spoke to families and school children, and in June heard three initial proposals for equipment. When none of the bids met their expectations, they asked vendors to go back to the drawing board.

“We had Flanagan Sales, Flagship Recreation, Clearwater Recreation and Accent Park and Recreation all provide us great examples (in the second round)" said assistant to the city administrator, Jake Sedlacek. The commission ultimately recommended a Little Tykes Commercial system sold by Flanagan Sales.

Construction is slated to begin this fall. The project will include removing equipment, replacing the current concrete with poured-in-place surfacing, replacing pea gravel with engineered wood fiber and improving drainage. The existing swing structure and several of the smaller “single play” structures will remain. A separate structure for 2- to 5-year-olds, another for 5- to 12-year-olds, and a large climbing “web” will be built.

Mayor Sandra Krebsbach complimented the commission’s process after the purchase approval. “I do want to commend the parks commission,” Krebsbach said. “I know that they have really been stewards of their park fund. They realize that without a lot of new development [in the city of Mendota Heights] it doesn’t necessarily get replenished. So I know the amount of time and care they put into this and it seems to be a really good recommendation.”