Designer selected for Margaret Kirner Park playground revamp
Published 2:30 am Wednesday, June 17, 2026
The City of Sequim continues to make progress towards a renovation of Margaret Kirner Park at the corner of West Pine Street and South Fourth Avenue.
Sequim city councilors approved an “Inclusive Playground Design” contract with RRM Design Group worth just over $286,000.on June 8 in the council’s consent agenda during their regular meeting.
RRM was one of three responses to a Request for Qualifications submitted earlier this year.
They previously contracted with the city in 2023 to survey the community on park playground redesigns for Margaret Kirner, Carrie Blake Community Park, and Dr. Standard Little League Park.
For Margaret Kirner Park, about 57.4% of surveyors, or 566 respondents, chose a “Chutes & Ladders” design featuring several ladders and slides. If used, its cost was estimated to be about $1.3 million at the time, prior to recent inflationary and cost changes.
Hannah Merrill, Sequim’s parks and events manager, wrote in an email reply that selecting RRM puts the city in the second and final phase of design for Margaret Kirner Park’s playground.
“This phase is focused on bringing the project to a construction-ready stage so we can move toward construction next year,” she said.
According to city documents, RRM will submit a 60% design by November and seek permits by January 2027 and then prepare bid documents and advertise for construction in March 2027.
City documents state they’ll contract separately with a contractor for park construction.
RRM’s documents state that construction will tentatively begin in June and tentatively finish in November 2027.
RRM staff write that their design will include the following:
• An expanded play area with accessible play surfacing for children ages 2-12 years
• New play equipment
• New Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant park circulation paths
• New restroom facility*
• New shade structure at picnic area*
• New furnishings such as benches and picnic tables
• New park entry gate and signage
• New asphalt parking area, including ADA-compliant parking stall
• New ADA-compliant sidewalk
• New trees and shrubs
• New irrigation system
• New sewer and domestic water service
* These improvements are to be determined in discussion with city staff.
Merrill said the design work is fully funded and construction is included in the city’s 2027 Capital Improvement Plan with funding allocated for that phase.
“Depending on the final design and construction costs, including inflation impacts, the construction budget may need to be adjusted,” she said.
In July 2025, the city announced it received a $500,000 grant from the state’s Recreation and Conservation Funding Board for design and construction for an inclusive playground.
Margaret Kirner Park was deeded to the city in February 1968 and now includes play structures and swings, trees and lawn, a picnic table and shade structure, a drinking fountain, a portable toilet, a fully fenced area, and an irrigation system.
According to city documents, the playground project will “create an inclusive play environment that offers physical, sensory, and cognitive play opportunities and incorporates accessible play surfacing.”
City documents state RRM will lead the design effort with its subconsultant Wilson Engineering providing civil engineering services to jointly prepare design and construction documents, including plans, technical specifications, a cost estimate to support the public bid process for the park renovation, and a geotechnical study.
