For years, children and their parents have been coming to Wildwood Park on Fourth Street to enjoy outdoor activities, with children flying high on the swings and tots forming a human train on the slides. But this scene may be put on hold temporarily if the parks and recreation commission and the city approve the task force's plan to replace all playground equipment with newer and safer structures.

The task force's decision to completely tear down the existing playground came in 2002 after state officials conducted an audit on the park as mandated by state law and deemed it unsafe and inadequate for children's use.

The audit revealed a number of safety concerns, including a lack of signage indicating appropriate age groups, uneven surfacing of the bark groundwork and a metal slide that may potentially cause burns upon contact.

Many residents who take their children to the park said they agree that it is in dire need of updating, not only for aesthetic purposes but also for safety reasons.

"I'm always worried that my daughter will trip and fall on the bark ground as she's running," said Saratoga resident Stacey Freeman. "It's easy to fall because there are a lot of dips and bumps. It's also dangerous because the kids are not really watching where they run—they're too busy having fun."

Marilyn Berg, who has 14 grandchildren, said that the park is due for an update.

"There is not enough playground equipment for small kids to play on," she said. "It's not a real challenge for kids like my 5-year-old granddaughter."

Berg said she goes to Wildwood Park approximately five times a year but usually takes her grandchildren to parks that are further from her home because they have better and more interactive amenities. She said she will visit Wildwood Park more often once the new equipment is in place.

The park currently has three main features—a metal slide that is 3 inches higher than the allowed maximum of 15 feet, an apparatus with unstable rope climbers and a mini-slide and three worn-out swings.

Landscape architect Rebecca Dye from Design Focus in Saratoga said the new equipment will be popular with many parents and children.

The new design proposal includes replacing the slide with an 8-foot double sidewinder, which curves and diverts from the top. It also includes adding two spinner bowls, which rotate while the child sits inside; an airplane two-seat spring rider; a swing and seesaw apparatus all in one; and a water mountain play table. Though the new equipment is unique, Dye said she expects the 50-foot dinosaur climber will be the main attraction.

In addition, the park will have signs designating areas appropriate for children ages 2­5, 3­5 and 5­12.

Dye said that although it was a challenge to come up with a design for the park, it was also fun.

"We had the opportunity to think about what we would want if we were kids," she said. "We had to really think outside of the box and at the same time work with the environment."

Task force member Cynthia Bauer said she and her two children are excited to see the plan come to fruition.

"My daughter can't wait to ride the seesaw," she said.

For Bauer and her family, the park has been the center of many family activities and get-togethers.

"It's an extension of our backyard," she said.

Bauer said that one of the reasons she joined the task force over a year ago was to make sure that the park stays in its natural state and to protect the oak trees.

She said she finds the theme of the overall design "fitting to the environment."

John Kettman, who is also on the task force, said he believes the new layout will encourage more people to come to the park.

"Visitors and parents will have a good reason to come to the Village and stay longer," he said.

The cost of the project is estimated to be approximately $125,000. It will go before the parks and recreation commission on May 16. If it is approved, it will then go to the city council in late spring to early summer.