Plans to convert Kandle Park into an urban playland have taken a big step forward, with a new Draft Master Plan, featuring a beach-entry pool, sprayground, spray pool and skate park. Under the plan, Kandle would also get an all-new playground and keep the popular community garden space as well as a large open area for sports practices or other open ended uses.

I confess, I had never been to Wapato Lake before yesterday afternoon. With the mall sewage issue, the rampant algae, and the ensuing water treatment debacle, followed by attempts to pull an entire car out of the lake, it just didn't sound too inviting. I was very wrong.

I don't know how it used to look, but this is the lake yesterday, post restorative treatments:

Two weeks ago, the girls and I checked out Colegate Park, a fantastic space-themed playground out in University Place. I came home all jazzed up to write about it, only to find this article from the Washington State Department of Ecology, dated 2003.

Here's the part we're concerned with: "At four parks, the average arsenic for a play area was above the state cleanup level of 20 parts per million. The highest average arsenic for a play area was 46 parts per million at both Curran Apple Orchard and Colgate Park in University Place. (Average of 6 to 10 samples within each play area). "

Update: The official name is "Gas Station Park" - more on this later.

OK, it's not really a mystery park, but that's what it seemed like when we ran into this bright blue cookie-moster colored park yesterday. Turns out, it was converted from an old gas station through the Health Department's "Brownfields" project and is now being transformed into a playground by the South End Neighborhood Council.