Construction for all-inclusive playground at Cupertino Jollyman Park to begin this year

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 the constructing 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, 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 Louise Saadati, who heard about the project three years ago 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.

“Anything that occurred at Jollyman was of interest to us, so we kept our ears open,” she said.

Saadati believes the local park should be a place where everyone, especially children, can play safely with one another. The new playground can also attract people from surrounding cities, fostering a stronger sense of community within Santa Clara County.

“It’s wonderful that the playground lets the children have a safe place to be part of the community,” she said, “and stimulated in a matter that they choose.”