Playground Upgrades Are Coming!
Playground Update - January 23, 2024
Here is a bit more information about these options for you to consider.
TSA Park Playground OPTION 4
Option 4 has the following features:
- A main play structure that includes 2 slides, multiple platform levels, 2 ladder type climbing features, a monkey bars style feature, a rock climbing wall, and a couple of other small play features. Note: This is the same as Option 5.
- The existing slide from the playground will be salvaged and moved to the location labeled “Existing Slide” in the drawings. This is the same as Option 5.
- A “Solo Spinner” play thing. This is the same as Option 5. https://www.gametime.com/products/solo-spinner
- 2 benches. This is the same as Option 5.
- A double bay swingset with 2 belt seat swings and 2 enclosed tot swings.
- A balance beam area with a curved and a straight balance beam as well as 3 pods for hopping on and off of.
- A 3-panel structure with activities for the little ones.
- Estimated Project Cost = $93,873.65
Here is a bit more information about the final design:
- A main play structure that includes 2 slides, multiple platform levels, 2 ladder type climbing features, a monkey bars style feature, a rock climbing wall, and a couple of other small play features. Note: This is the same as previous Options 4 & 5.
- The existing slide from the playground will remain in its existing position, rather than being moved as we had considered doing in earlier Options. This change resulted in a significant cost savings and eliminates the risk of damaging the slide to move it. The slide is labeled “Existing Slide” in the drawings.
- 2 benches. Note: This is the same as Options 4 and 5.
- An anchored picnic table.
- A three bay swingset with 3 belt seat swings, 2 enclosed tot swings, and a “Zero G” swing chair for those needing extra support but that still want to join the fun. This is an element from the original Option 4 that many residents really liked. https://www.gametime.com/products/zero-g-swing-chair-beige-brace-8560
- A balance beam area with a curved balance beam as well as 3 pods for hopping on and off of. This is another element from the original Option 4 that many residents really liked.
- A 4-panel structure with activities for the little ones.
- Estimated Project Cost = $91,900.36. Even with additional elements, the price of this option ended up a couple thousand dollars less than earlier options thanks to design modifications including not moving the existing slide.
Treasure State Acres Park started as nothing more than a big dirt lot in the middle of the neighborhood back in the 1980s. Through the dedication and hard work of many local residents and the TSA Park Board, that lot was transformed into the amenity that it is today.
The TSA Park Board remains dedicated to making the park the best public place it can be. Their duties include organizing the mowing and care of the grass and trees, maintenance of the playground, oversight of park use and events, and more.
The park board is currently made up of the following individuals: Larry Thomas, John Wilkins, Culver Varnado, Thomas Glendenning, and Matt Klara. To contact the Park Board, feel free to send an inquiry through the contact page on this website.
For those interested in joining this dedicated group, a couple of the positions are opening up in 2024. Feel free to contact us about how to get involved.
Treasure State Acres Park
TSA Park Playground OPTION 5
Option 5 has the following features:
- A main play structure that includes 2 slides, multiple platform levels, 2 ladder type climbing features, a monkey bars style feature, a rock climbing wall, and a couple of other small play features. Note: This is the same as Option 4.
- The existing slide from the playground will be salvaged and moved to the location labeled “Existing Slide” in the drawings. Note: This is the same as Option 4.
- A “Solo Spinner” play thing. Note: This is the same as Option https://www.gametime.com/products/solo-spinner
- 2 benches. Note: This is the same as Option 4.
- A three bay swingset with 3 belt seat swings, 2 enclosed tot swings, and a “Zero G” swing chair for those needing extra support but that still want to join the fun. https://www.gametime.com/products/zero-g-swing-chair-beige-brace-8560
- A 4-panel structure with activities for the little ones.
- Estimated Project Cost = $94.315.83
Treasure State Acres Park is one of the largest and most used public spaces in the Helena Valley, and a true gem of the neighborhood.
The park's 8 Acres feature primarily grass open space that is perfect for anything from flying a kite and playing tag, to cross country skiing and practicing your fly casting, or running multiple peewee football or lacrosse practices.
The park also includes a playground and landscaped trees for shade.
Folks from all over the Helena Valley, Lewis & Clark County, and the State of Montana use and enjoy the park every month of the year.
After receiving outstanding feedback from members of the TSA community on Playground Options 4 and 5, the Park Board worked with Great Western Recreation / GameTime to dial in a final design for the updated playground.
Playground Update - 10/23/2023
After many years of use, the time has come to upgrade the playground in the TSA Park. The Park Board is actively working towards designing, funding, and constructing an updated playground at the current location. Board members have been meeting with individuals at Lewis & Clark County, the Treasure State Acres HOA, the City of Helena, and more to hopefully make this dream a reality sooner than later.
Since the last HOA meeting the Park Board members have made great progress on the project to update our Park playground. Based on input from the community at earlier meetings and via email, the Park Board and Great Western Recreation / GameTime developed three initial playground layout concepts (Options 1, 2, and 3) that covered a wide range of ideas, and met all modern safety and accessibility standards. The group looked those over and sent GameTime back a series of comments and questions. Based on that, GameTime produced two more layout alternatives (Options 4 and 5) for us that are variations on the best theme that we identified among the original options. The time has come where we would like to share Options 4 and 5 with members of the TSA community and get some additional feedback from you all with the plan to select a final design option to move forward with over the winter. We will be accepting feedback via the TSA Web Contact Form on these options until November 17th. Please use "Playground Feedback" in the subject line of the form. Note also that park board members will be talking about and taking feedback on the alternatives at the November 6th HOA meeting at the LDS Meetinghouse, if you wish to attend.
Once the plan for the playground is finalized, the Park Board can continue the process of procuring necessary funds for the project. It is expected that the funding will come from a combination of sources including Park Budget funds, County and other grants, TSA HOA funds, private donations, and potentially donations from other community organizations.
You can download the full design packages for Options 4 and 5 by clicking on the following Links. Note that costs are only estimates and GameTime is currently looking into a couple of questions we had about individual line item costs. Additionally, we are working to identify elements of the project that can involve the TSA community as vulunteer effort to reduce overall costs.
FINAL DESIGN DETAILS
You can download the full design package for Options 8 by clicking on the following Link.
Known as Option 8, the final design includes preferred elements from earlier options as well as additional features that will enhance the playground. See below for all the details of Option 8.
With a final design selected, the next big effort is FUNDRAISING!
The total project budget estimate is $91,900. As of January 23, we have already raised approximately $43,500, including $30,000 in TSA Park Board funds, a generous $10,000 contribution from the HOA, approximately $1,000 in donations generated from last year’s garage sale, and $2,500 from the lacrosse league that practices in the Park.
The Park Board is currently in the process of applying for up to $48,400 in grant funding through the Lewis & Clark County and City of Helena Parks Board. We are very hopeful to receive at least a portion of the requested funds, but we expect to need some additional funds to ensure that we can financially commit to purchasing equipment and getting the new playground constructed in Spring of 2024. Any amount helps and goes a long way towards improving our neighborhood!
If you or someone you know would like to support this project financially, the HOA and Park Board have set up two ways to donate.
- Via the project’s GoFundMe Page. Simply click on this link and follow the instructions on how to donate. https://www.gofundme.com/f/tsa-park-playground-upgrade Please note that each GoFundMe donation includes a transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 that is automatically deducted from your donation.
- If you wish to donate without any transaction fees the TSA Home Owners Association has set up a bank account for the project that can accept personal checks. To donate via personal check, please make out and send checks to: TSA Homeowners Association, 4230 Wolverine, Helena, MT 59602
If you have any questions about fundraising, or with to help spread the word, feel free to contact the Park Board via the TSA Park contact page. http://www.treasurestateacres.com/contact.html