Main story: After years of delays, inclusive playground set to open June 4

Challenges including COVID-19, weather, materials and even a trucker protest slowed construction at times

Photo by Kaylee Arca — Ron and Shirlee Locicero stand in front of the playhouse at the soon-to-open Magical Bridge Inclusive Playground.

By Kaylee Arca

The start of summer is bringing magical fun to Morgan Hill. The city’s Magical Bridge Inclusive Playground opens 10 a.m. Saturday, June 4, after more than seven years of plans and construction. South Valley families are encouraged to join the playtime and celebrate Morgan Hill’s newest playground.

Located in the heart of Community Park, the $6.3-million specialized playground is intended for people of all physical and mental abilities as well as age groups from toddlers to senior citizens.

The playground is divided into different areas that provide special play equipment for all abilities. The sections include a musical area with an over-head laser harp, a sandbox for children to have tactile experiences, a water fun area, spinning zone, toddler area, special slides and swings that can be used by all children and more. The city is also transplanting trees along the playground’s perimeter to provide natural shade.

Children and teenagers playing at Community Park have been admiring the nearly completed playground from outside the construction fence, excited for the grand opening.

“One of my favorite things I’ve seen is the harp where you move around under it to make music notes,” Nolan Joiner, 13, said. “I’ve always liked parks (like this one) because there’s so much different stuff. It’s more than just slides and swings. It’s perfect for everybody.”

Among the playground’s zones, a colorful two-story playhouse sits as the focal point of the playground. It was designed and built by San Francisco artist and architect Barbara Butler.

“I’m definitely going to be here for the grand opening,” James Tipton, 12, said. “I can’t wait to explore the playhouse, it looks so cool.”

The idea and design of the park was spearheaded by Ron and Shirlee Locicero. The Morgan Hill couple were inspired to create the inclusive play area in 2015 after watching a TV news story about the grand opening of Tatum’s Garden, an inclusive playground in Salinas. As retired educators, they felt inspired to build a similar playground where South Valley children of all physical and mental abilities could find outdoor fun together.

With the help of the city of Morgan Hill’s Park and Recreation Department and generous donors, the Lociceros created ideas for inclusive structures and included the community for more design ideas. The couple visited local schools across Santa Clara County and held community meetings for anyone to contribute ideas. The Magical Ladies, a group of local moms who have children with disabilities, formed to provide invaluable ideas and insight into the playground’s design.

“This is a lot of work for a great reward,” John McKay, city councilman said. “This (playground) never would have happened if it wasn’t for Ron and Shirlee’s persistence, realistic vision and big dreams. There were times and setbacks when we thought this project wasn’t possible.”

The ecstatic Lociceros plan to enjoy the playground with child-like joy and wonder alongside their grandkids Paisley, 6, and Evan,4. Paisley is in kindergarten and she’s so excited, she talks about how she wants to bring her classmates here to play, Shirlee said.

The Lociceros had originally hoped the inclusive playground would be open in spring 2020, but they faced challenges along the way with finances, COVID-19, weather, and materials. These challenges slowed and stalled construction at times. The playground’s fencing was delayed at the Canadian border for months due to Canada’s Trucker Protest, according to Chris Ghione, the city of Morgan Hill’s public services director. The virtual groundbreaking event happened in June 2020. Two years later, the playground is ready for visitors.

“I’m going to be super happy to see all the young kids playing,” Ghione said. “It’s going to be amazing for our community to come together and have this park that they can call their own.”

This project would not have succeeded without the dedication and commitment of Ron and Shirlee Locicero along with Santa Clara County, city of Morgan Hill, and the community. What started as a proposal to the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission in 2014, has come to fruition.

The inclusive playground received a $2.15 million grant from Santa Clara County. The city of Morgan Hill contributed another $3.5 million grant and donated the playground’s land. About $400,000 in donations came from families and local businesses, with $60,000 and future maintenance fees donated by the nonprofit Edward Boss Prado Foundation.

The Lociceros also worked with the Santa Clara County Office of Education’s current board president Claudia Rossi and others to find $200,000 to build an outdoor classroom at the location. The original price tag of the project was estimated at $5 million. Added components made the final cost about $6.3 million.

After years of persistence, the Magical Bridge Inclusive Playground is finally ready for the community to enjoy, Ron said with pride at the vision coming into reality.

“I’ve been told that all of the frustrations will go away once the park is open,” he said. “We had frustrations, we had setbacks, we had COVID, we had strikes, but none of that matters now that the park is finally going to open.”

Kaylee Arca is a 2017 graduate of Sobrato High School. She graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in journalism and media Studies and now works as an accounts associate for public relations firm Sterling Communications