The playground had been dismantled as part of a half-million dollar renovation project to update the park structures and make them accessible for disabled visitors and residents. Because of the way the playground structures were installed, removing them required extensive dismantling.

Gaunt said that when he saw the enormous pile of twisted metal and splintered wood— much of it still with a shiny blue coat of paint— he mourned not only the loss of his grandson's favorite playground, but a missed chance for future children to play on the slides and swings.

"I just thought dang-it, some other kids could have played on that," Gaunt said. "Surely someone could have used that equipment, as expensive as it is."

Gaunt also said he was worried that the city threw away thousands of dollars in equipment that may have been able to be recycled for use elsewhere.

"[The city] is always whining and crying about not having money, and then they go and destroy thousands of dollars of used equipment," Gaunt said.

Former city of Sunnyvale employee Michelle Scatena, a certified playground inspector for three years and a design consultant for Grounds for Play, a playground construction company, said that the very reason the playground was taken down is the reason it cannot be put up.

"There'd pretty much be no way they could reuse it and still fall within the guidelines set by the state of California," Scatena said. "If you move something that is unsafe or out of compliance, you're wasting everyone's time and money."

Scatena said that in California, playground structures were supposed to be in compliance with updated guidelines described in the Americans with Disabilities Act, but lack of inspectors has slowed the process.

In addition to access for disabled citizens, the renovated park is also slated to include a climbing wall, swing set, water play equipment, new cushioned surface materials and mulched plant beds. According to a statement from the city, the $500,000 project should be complete in the fall.

Gaunt— who has lived in his Hebrides Way home for over 38 years— said he and his grandson were regulars at the park, whenever he and his wife would watch David for the day. Three days of week the 4-year-old would come to the park with his grandparents to play on his favorite playground.

"He loved it, he came here everyday, he just couldn't wait to play on it," Gaunt said.