Rancho Palos Verdes first budgeted $30,000 to design a new playground at Ryan Park. The plan was simple: take the old equipment out and put new equipment in. By February 2026 the design contract had grown to $122,500, and the extra money came out of the construction line. The city did this knowing the finished playground would probably cost more than the project had in hand. The idea is to finish a full design first and then use it to go after the rest of the money.
That approach decides when families at Ryan Park will see a new playground and what it will look like. It also says a lot about how the city pays for parks right now.
A Simple Swap That Became a Redesign
Ryan Park has a particular place in city history. The City of Rancho Palos Verdes says the park came over from Los Angeles County when the city incorporated in 1973, and it calls Ryan its first park. The park has an activity room and patio, a baseball diamond, grass fields, a playground and tot lot, and picnic areas with barbecues. Leashed dogs are allowed. The activity room and patio can be rented for small gatherings of up to 40 people.
In a city announcement this year, the playground "has reached the end of its useful life." The first plan matched a simple replacement. Then the scope grew. The February 3, 2026 staff report to the City Council explains why:
"The design and engineering services included in this proposal addresses needed ADA improvements including improved access and connective trails linking the park equipment pods."
That change matters. Swapping equipment means new pieces in the same footprint. Adding accessible routes and paths between separate play areas means designing the ground they sit on. The city's scope for playground work can cover platforms, bridges, guardrails, loose-fill and unitary surfacing, retaining walls, fencing, walkways, curbs, turf and irrigation. The Council approved the $122,500 contract with RHA Landscape Architects-Planners on February 3. Seven firms had submitted proposals.
Where the Money Comes From
Every dollar in this project so far comes from Measure A. Los Angeles County voters approved it in 2016, and it is funded by an annual special tax on taxable real property across the county. The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District manages the money. It sends Rancho Palos Verdes a formula-based share each year, and the city spends it on approved projects.
The numbers show how tight the budget is:
| Item | Amount | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Original design and engineering budget | $30,000 | FY 2025-26 CIP |
| Approved design contract | $122,500 | Feb. 3, 2026 |
| Total Ryan Park playground budget, all phases | $400,000 | FY 2025-26 CIP |
| City's annual Measure A allocation | About $180,000 to $190,000 | Feb. 2026 staff report |
| City's accrued Measure A balance | About $1,200,000 | Feb. 2026 staff report |
| Park Playground Improvements, proposed | $500,000 | FY 2026-27 CIP, May 18, 2026 |
When the project began, design was 7.5% of the $400,000 budget. After the February change it is a little under a third. The $400,000 had to cover design, engineering, management, inspection, construction and contingency. So moving $92,500 into design left $92,500 less for building.
How the money is paid out shapes the schedule. Measure A pays back money the city has already spent, and only for eligible costs. No matching funds are required and the city does not compete for it, because the county has already set the allocation aside. The city's staff report notes that a park built with Measure A money must be maintained and operated in perpetuity and must comply with the California Environmental Quality Act.
The Only Park Project in a $31 Million Plan
The size of that line is clearer next to the rest of the city's capital plan. According to the city's FY 2026-27 Budget in Brief, the adopted Capital Improvement Program covers 19 projects worth about $31 million. Parks, open space and recreation get one project, worth $0.5 million. The revised CIP report from May 18, 2026 names that project as No. 8426, Park Playground Improvements, at $500,000 from the Measure A fund. That is about 2% of the plan.
The other lines are sewers, storm drains, road resurfacing on Palos Verdes Drive South, West and East, Western Avenue traffic flow, and a master plan for a new Civic Center campus. Most of those draw on the city's general CIP fund or on gas tax, Proposition C, Measure W and federal grants. The playground line is paid only from Measure A. City park playgrounds have their own funding source, and it is a small one.
Why Design Comes Before the Construction Money
The February staff report says outright that the original budget probably will not cover the job. The final cost "is anticipated to be in excess of the current $400,000 FY 2025-26 CIP budget estimate."
The report also gives the plan for that gap:
"Once the design and engineering phase are complete, the Ryan Park Playground Project would be 'shovel-ready' which would make it eligible and competitive for a wider range of grant and alternative funding opportunities."
That explains the extra design money. Many grant programs score finished plans and specifications much higher than concept sketches. A city that only has a concept usually has to wait another grant cycle. So Rancho Palos Verdes is paying more up front for a full set of construction documents, with accessible routes and connecting paths included, and plans to look for outside money once that set exists. The report says staff will seek construction funding after design and engineering are done.
The consultant's work was projected to run from March 2026 to September 2026. That was the plan in February, and the city has not announced a finish date.
What the Public Has Seen So Far
The design work has included several public outreach steps since winter:
- February 3, 2026. The City Council approves RHA Landscape Architects-Planners for design and engineering.
- Summer 2026. The city announces a community design meeting for July 8 at Hesse Park. Later notices give the date as Wednesday, August 12, at 6 p.m. in McTaggart Hall at Hesse Park, 29301 Hawthorne Blvd. A later version adds Zoom.
- Summer concert, Ken Dita Civic Center. Recreation staff show concept designs and ask residents to rate equipment and themes. Citizen Portal reported the themes as nautical, whales and butterflies.
The August notice asked residents to "help shape the future of RPV's original park site." All three themes come from the Peninsula's own coastline and hillsides.
Ryan Is First in Line, and Three Parks Follow
The playground program covers more than one park. The CIP plans phased work to repair, upgrade or replace playground parts at four city parks:
- Ryan Park
- Hesse Park
- Eastview Park
- Ladera Linda Community Park
The FY 2025-26 budget made Ryan Park "phase one." The city chooses which playgrounds to fix through facility assessments by a specialized consultant and through regular staff inspections. The goal is to keep the equipment in line with current playground rules.
Ladera Linda shows how differently a park project can be paid for. That park was rebuilt as a whole and reopened in February 2024. It has a 6,790-square-foot community center, paddle-tennis and basketball courts, and a new children's playground. The Daily Breeze put that project's cost at $18 million to $19 million. Ryan Park is getting a targeted playground replacement funded from a county allocation that brings in less than $200,000 a year. Ryan's schedule will affect when Hesse and Eastview get their turn.
What Is Still Open
For anyone who uses Ryan Park every week, these are the decisions still to come:
- The theme. No choice among nautical, whales and butterflies has been announced.
- The final cost estimate. The design phase sets this number, and staff already expect it to exceed $400,000.
- Construction funding beyond Measure A. Staff plan to look for grants once the plans are shovel-ready.
- Bid timing and playground closure dates. Neither has been posted.
The city keeps a Robert E. Ryan Park Playground Improvements project page, which is the place to watch for a selected design and a construction schedule. Until then, the tot lot, fields, baseball diamond and picnic areas stay as they are. The next big step will be a staff report to the City Council with a chosen design and a cost estimate.
Jane Angel follows these Peninsula projects from first staff report to ribbon cutting. If you want to talk through how city projects near your home could affect plans to sell or buy on the Peninsula, Book an Appointment.
